Mikkel Rohde Skovlunde
Or a basket, or a bit of rolled bark or leaf, or a net woven of your own hair
Curated by TC Schwartzkopff
Exhibition
11 Jan 2025 → 7 Feb 2025
Wednesday - Friday
11:00-17:00
Opening/vernissage:
11 Jan 2025, 16:00-20:00
Galleri Sod
Gothersgade 109, 1123 Copenhagen
https://www.instagram.com/galleri.sod_/
Admission:
Free
IMAGE
Or a basket, or a bit of rolled bark or leaf, or a net woven of your own hair
TEXT
It is with great pleasure that we invite you to the opening of the solo exhibition; Or a basket, or a bit of rolled bark or leaf, or a net woven of your own hair by Mikkel Rohde Skovlunde on Saturday, January 11, from 4 PM to 8 PM at Galleri Sod.
Skovlunde’s artistic practice stems from a lifelong fascination with gathering. Feathers, bones, wasps’ nests, stones, fossils, sticks, and seashells are just a few examples of treasures that find their way into his pocket and, over time, into his studio, collections, and artworks. The solo exhibition Or a basket, or a bit of rolled bark or leaf, or a net woven of your own hair explores this practice in the light of Ursula K. Le Guin’s essay ”The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction” (1986). In this essay, Le Guin challenges the traditional hero narrative of the male protagonist ensuring the collective’s survival through violence and conquest. She argues that humanity’s most important invention was not the hunter’s spear, but rather the gatherer’s carrier bag.
As an alternative to the romanticized violence often glorified in traditional hero stories, Le Guin suggests that we should instead strive for more feminine values such as care, presence, and togetherness. By placing his works in dialogue with this theory, Skovlunde examines the liberating potential of also men laying down the sword—or perhaps never picking it up in the first place. Through this rejection of patriarchal values, Skovlunde hopes to create space for a more posthuman way of thinking, beneficial for both humans and non-humans alike.
When we collect things, we see the world through specific lenses. Objects are filtered and categorized based on different factors, perhaps through their ability to fascinate us. Some of them seem to almost call out to us - they want to come home with us, change scenery, or to be seen with fresh eyes. This curious approach lies at the heart of Skovlunde’s practice, which examines and archives found objects as something mysterious and magical. His compositions initially appear recognizable, perhaps even familiar, but upon closer inspection, they reveal an otherness. Familiar objects are juxtaposed in unexpected contexts, inviting viewers to an increased curiosity about our surroundings and the elements that make up our world.
Mikkel Rohde Skovlunde (b. 1995) is a student at Funen Art Academy and is based in Copenhagen and Odense. He recently participated in the 2024 Kunstnernes Efterårsudstilling and has previously exhibited in Berlin, Rome, Budapest, Copenhagen, Odense, and Fredericia.