The Imaginary Collection: Take the Stage
curated by Caroline Bøge in collaboration with von Bartha.
Exhibition dates: May 5th – June 26th 2021
Opening Hours: Thursday & Friday: 12-17, Saturdays 12-15 & by appointment.
2112, Birkedommervej 31, 2nd floor, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark
Courtesy von Bartha & the artists. Photo by Malle Madsen.
An art collection is a personal matter. It is a testament to the life of the collector.
When I was asked to create a personal Imaginary Collection in cooperation with the esteemed Swiss gallery von Bartha, I had to consider how I would testify a lifetime of love for art. And how I would choose from the gallery’s incredible archives.
Founded in 1970 by couple Margareta and Miklos von Bartha, and taken over in 2008 by their son Stefan, von Bartha gallery is today one of the most important European galleries. The gallery disposes of two impressive locations in Basel and the Engadine Alps respectively, and shows at important international art fairs including Art Basel. Von Bartha has exhibited modern and contemporary artists across historically significant movements such as Zero, Arte Concreto and Arte Madí and represents over twenty-five artists and estates, including contemporary artists who work in dialogue with the history of Concrete and Kinetic art. Throughout their over 50 years old history, the von Bartha family has promoted art they loved and believed in, and I am proud to present an exhibition in collaboration with the gallery in Copenhagen: my Imaginary Collection.
The ‘collection’ presents works by the renowned international artists Anna Dickinson, Barry Flanagan, Athene Galiciadis, Terry Haggerty, John Wood & Paul Harrison, Imi Knoebel, Mike Meiré, Landon Metz, Francisco, Sierra, Sarah Oppenheimer and Claudia Wieser.
An art collection is normally built over a long period of time, and it is of course an illusion to encapsulate 41 years of inspiration, thoughts, and memories into one moment – into one exhibition. For this reason, I decided to curate this Imaginary Collection around a place that is close to my heart, as well as an interesting topic in relation to art collecting: the stage. To me the stage represents a place of endless possibilities. A place where anything goes. As spectator your mind travels - as performer your body becomes one with the spectacle. During my years as dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet, I had the privilege of being on stage many times, and what I remember most profoundly was the sensation of transformation. Of becoming one with the character, the movements, and the music. When the curtain rises, the stage reveals itself as the platform for a journey - for the audience and performers alike.
Similarly, art appreciation and -collecting is traveling into the unknown. Collectors of art have the Director’s privilege, as they can stage their own narratives through their collection. But I have come to realize that oftentimes the collection gradually takes control. The interplay between individual works become increasingly more important, as different themes, stories, and scenes unfold. Upon experiencing new works of art, the collector starts thinking about how they would interact with already existing works in the collection. By this dynamic the collector is matured into an interest in works she would not have considered in the beginning. I believe it is this personal transformation and progression that is so intriguing and part of what makes art collecting so addicting.
We all have different reference- and starting points, and mine is the work of late Russian artist Kazimir Malevich. Early on my father, an artist himself, introduced me to the work of Malevich by showing me his suprematist works on paper in the collection of the Louisiana Museum (which, by the way, is based on a private collection). He told me about the visual vocabulary of Suprematism that created a new language by breaking down the world into atoms in a time of crisis at the beginning of the 20th century. Also, he told me about Malevich’s revolutionary ‘Black Square’ that became iconic for Twentieth Century Art, as well as a symbol for a new age.
Today, as an art historian, I understand the massive importance of the historical avantgarde, and with the black square as my ground zero, I have taken on the role as ‘Director’ for this exhibition and set the scene. In many ways the stage is formally and conceptually congruent with the black square as they share not only shape and color, but both represent possibility and transformation (in fact, Malevich’s square first made an appearance in his design for a stage curtain to a futurist opera). Some of the works on display have been chosen with direct reference to the iconic work, whilst others allude to performance, set construction and staged reality. Others again came to my attention because of the way the ‘collection’ developed and the works interacted, but most importantly all works have been chosen because they make me think - and because I would personally wish to be surrounded by them.
Looking at the world through art brings perspective, and although art collectors play a massive part in the ecosystem of contemporary art, making it possible for (some) artists to keep creating, fortunately experiencing and appreciating art is for everybody. An art gallery is a commercial space, but it is also a platform – or stage if you will - on which artists and curators create exhibitions to be experienced for free. For this reason, my showroom, normally open by appointment only, will be open to the public Thursday through Saturday during the exhibition period.