The exhibition SuperSub – on collectivism is part of the annual culture event IMAGES – a collaboration between Center for Kulturel Udvikling (CKU) and several Danish cultural institutions
The goal with the exhibition at Den Frie is to make an exchange of experience between Den Frie and non-Western artists, curators, and institutions, as an alternative to the traditional view on art in Denmark. Den Frie welcomes an institutional context and artistic platform that expands and challenges an “international” (read: Western) view by presenting a “global” point of view. Therefore the artist and curator Ade Darmawan from Indonesia has been invited to curate the exhibition for which he has selected five artists, who are all involved with collective art practises. With this overall concept around experience and cultural exchange between a number of Copenhagen based artist groups, curators, and non-Western institutions, it is our wish to raise the questions: What does it mean to work collectively today? What lies hidden in the community and in the collective culture production?
According to Darmawan the exhibition title refers to soccer world terminology. Here a “super substitute” characterizes a soccer player put in the game to change its direction. In the same way Darmawan has brought together a group of artists that are all game changers within the collective. SuperSub – on collectivism explores themes like cultural exchange, social engagement, and artistic process. Furthermore it actualises Den Frie’s own history as the artists’ house and puts it into a global perspective. Activity plays a central role in the exhibition as the artists consider process and participation to be of greater value than the material qualities of art. During a three-week residency in Copenhagen the invited artists have wished to research on Danish art collectives, conduct workshops, and create site-specific artworks for the exhibition. Themes like cultural production, migration, and the role of art in the society are processed through different formats such as video screenings, talks, interventions, seminars, and workshops.
In context with the exhibition we are very pleased to show a selection of Indonesian movies presented in collaboration with PIX. There will be two movie nights every week during the run of the exhibition. Furthermore we cooperate with DIAS (Digital Interactive Art Space) on the project Hacking Urban Reality, for which the artists will make different artistic actions at the railroad tracks between Vallensbæk Station and Østerport.
The participating artists are: Reza Afisina, Mg Pringgotono, Mahardika Yudha, Arief Yudi, Andreas Siagian and Farid Rakun.
IMAGES 16 presents to the Danish public prominent artists from countries that are in the media often associated with war, conflict and need, and offers new perspectives on these often black and white portraits of countries. The vision behind IMAGES 16 is to create insight, understanding, collaboration, and openness across continents.