Olivia Rode Hvass

De varme hænder (Hot hands!)

“De varme hænder (Hot hands!)” as a part of the group exhibition “Under the weaver’s hands” at Trier Kunsthalle

Curated by Çağla Erdemir

INFORMATION

Artist(s): Olivia Rode Hvass

Curator(s): Çağla Erdemir

Type: Exhibition

Location: Trier Kunsthalle, DE

Dates: March 27, 2025 → April 27, 2025

Photographer: Omram Bhagchandani

De varme hænder (Hot hands!) In their sculptural and installation-based practice, Olivia Rode Hvass explores the interconnections between mythology, history, and contemporary social structures. "De varme hænder (Hot Hands!)" (2023) unfolds as a textile narrative about labor, solidarity, and resistance. The title Hot Hands! refers to the media portrayal of striking healthcare workers, who were often reduced in public discourse to their caring hands—a metaphor that exposes the structural invisibility of care work and the instrumentalization of caregiving as a moral duty. Hvass takes up this tension and expands it by exploring the connection between craftsmanship, labor, and empowerment. The installation forms a multilayered landscape of Jacquard-woven tapestries, treated wood, stones, sand, and plants. It evokes images of past struggles and emerging new beginnings: charred sticks stand as silent witnesses, while delicate plant structures hint at fragile yet resilient transformations. The textile works carry symbols of upheaval—including a towering blaze between high-rise buildings. They summon memories of ancient rituals while directing attention to pressing contemporary social issues. "De varme hænder" understands weaving not just as a craft technique but as a narrative practice that intertwines past and future. The loom, whose principles are closely linked to digitalization, points to a network of craftsmanship and technology, care and progress. Through the interplay of archaic and digital techniques, Hvass traces the remnants of inherited stories and asks what forms of solidarity can emerge from the ashes of outdated structures. Thus, the installation becomes a threshold space—a place where past and present merge, and where caregiving is not seen as a burden, but as a radical force for change. Credits: Concept & Production: Olivia Rode Hvass Production Assistant: Claus Hvass On-Site Production Lead: Wilhelm Frankreiter On-Site Production Assistant: Marcel Scharipow

Author: Çağla Erdemir