art: soft statues: Helle Mardahl
Helle Mardahl comes from Copenhagen, Denmark and makes wonderful and whimsical figures out of a variety of soft materials which are combined with great skill and craft. Below, we ask a few questions and see some examples of her work.
Helle Mardahl
Amagerfælledvej 40-42
2300 Copenhagen S
Denmark
Mob: + 45 2619 7699
E: studio@hellemardahl.com
www.hellemardahl.com
The large, colourful, figures you make seem to be quite complex statements about the world we live in. Is this true or are we being overserious!?
> OH YES, I'LL SEND YOU THE PRESS RELEASE SO YOU HAVE A TOTAL > UNDERSTANDING... AND THE CHANDELIER IS ALSO MENTIONED IN THE BEGINNING, > THE CENTER FOR THE EXHIBITION. ( THE LARGE FIGURE)
There is a very serious amount of craft skill in your work - do you believe this is a statement just by itself? > > >
> WELL, MY BACKGROUND DOES SHOW. IT´S A HUGE PART OF WHO I AM AS AN ARTIST >
>AND HOW I APPROACH MY WORK. PEOPLE AND CRAFT,
> PEOPLE AND CLOTH AND PERSONAL OUTSTANDING CONSUMPTION... IT'S ALL > MAKING SENSE WITH A FASHION BACKGROUND!
Do you think what you do has particular strands of your country, Denmark, in it? > >
> > THE EXHIBITION IS BASED ON A ROYAL ORGIE OF CONSUMPTION. > AN ORGIE OF CONSUMPTION THAT YOU'LL SEE IN MOST COUNTRIESS. BUT WHAT HAS > HAPPENED OVER THE LAST YEARS IN DK IS THE SEPERATION OF NORMALITY, SO I'M > DIVING UNDER THE IDEAS OF BASING MY STORY ON A ROYAL FAMILY > BY CHARACTERISING EACH MEMBER/ STAFF/ OBJECT TO THE OPPOSITE OF OUR > THOUGHTS OF THE ROYAL LIVING. I MIGHT TELL OR DEMONSTRATE A STORY BASED > ON THE NORMALITY OF LIFE, BUT I´M FASCINATED BY THE ABNORMAL BUT SAD PART > OF THE > DANISH OR THE WORLDS NARROW MINDED SEPARATION OF HUMAN BEINGS, SAD OF > THE IMMOVABLE SOCIETY AND SAD OF THE BIG VOTES. > SEE ALSO THE PRESS RELEASE.
The press release...
The Apartment Gallery - Berlin www.apartmentberlin.de Designer and artist Helle Mardahl exhibits a royal orgy of consumption in the Apartment Gallery in Berlin 29th of September 2007 Private view on the 27th of September 2007, 7PM-10PM A shambles of dreams, orgies, profusion and staging of the self have gathered in a gigantic sculptural chandelier, which is the centre point of the exhibition. The chandelier encompasses all the ups and downs of every day life and subsequently answers the question, which is also the title of the exhibition: What does not live inside? The exhibition in the 150m2 large space facing towards Alexanderplatz is a complete installation. Wall prints, collages and sculptures gives the impression of a decadent and lavish upper class milieu - but the seemingly polished surface clashes with the contrary of an autonomous underworld of wickedness, revolt and pop culture that interferes with the royal atmosphere. Ten different personas are picked out of the chandeliers symbolic diversity and these sculptural individuals are among others the transsexual king, the artist herself as an egoistical queen, the autonomous prince and the voyeuristic maid - all iconic characters with conflicting motives and inner obsessions. Helle Mardahl (born 1976) combines art and graphic fashion design. She is educated in fashion design from the prestigious institution Central Saint Martins, London and was awarded "Statens Kunstfonds" (the state art fond) a 3year working grant, providing her with the opportunity to work in the field between fashion, sculpture and installation. She is inspired by her background in fashion and sees fashion as a lifestyle and a reflection on society's need. She is also highly fascinated by the human individual, our staging of the self and our superficial culture. Art for her is a free space where she can connect these elements disregarding a final function or use. The graphical figure is liberated and blends into the physical figure - both surface and depth of the whole project is Helle's extreme need to be able to express her self aesthetically.