Critical Distance PROGRAMMING EXHIBITION: Crossing the Line | Contemporary Art from Denmark

Artist(s): Jeannette Ehlers and Patricia Kaersenhout, Søren Thilo Funder, Jens Haaning, Maj Hasager, Tina Helen, Stine Marie Jacobsen, Jane Jin Kaisen, andLilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen
Curator(s): Earl Miller

We are pleased to present Crossing the Line, a timely and provocative survey of contemporary Danish art curated by Earl Miller. Recognizing the transnational nature of much recent art from Denmark, the exhibition asks: Can a nation define itself culturally by looking beyond its traditional borders?

Often boldly political, the work of the nine featured emerging and established artists considers cultural hegemonies, the nation state in a global framework, post-colonialism, nomadism, and the Syrian refugee crisis. Through performance, photography, video, sculpture, and sound, Jeannette Ehlers and Patricia Kaersenhout, Søren Thilo Funder, Jens Haaning, Maj Hasager, Tina Helen, Stine Marie Jacobsen, Jane Jin Kaisen, and Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen reveal migrant patterns and alter them in unexpected ways. Challenging traditional gender, racial, and national divides, the artists often reverse roles: women become men; black men become white; tourists become locals; locals become tourists. Ultimately, Crossing the Line examines the response of one country’s artists to questions of international import. For many Canadians, the exhibition will serve as an introduction to the vibrant contemporary art scene in Denmark. In turn, for several of the artists, Crossing the Line will be the first exhibition to feature their work in North America.

Crossing the Line will be accompanied by a catalogue with curatorial essay by Earl Miller and Q+As with all of the artists in the show, as well as full photo documentation of the exhibition. CDCC will also debut a limited edition print by Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen.

Programs, Events, and Public Art

Opening reception, performance, and screening
Saturday, November 5th, 2016 
6:00 – 8:15 pm. Please join us at the gallery for a very special opening reception with curator Earl Miller and artist Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen, visiting from Denmark.
8:30–8:50 pm. Miller and Cuenca Rasmussen will perform Afghan Hound. The performance will take place at Suite 101 (Small World theatre).
9:00 – 10:00 pm. Immediately following the performance, we will screen Maj Hasager’s one-hour video work, Decembers—a round table conversation (2012).

Entire evening is free to attend–come and stay for any or all of the events. Seating for the performance and screening is limited, so arrive early for best chance and selection.

About the Artists

Jeannette Ehlers creates cinematic universes that delve into ethnicity and identity inspired by her own Danish/Caribbean heritage. Selected exhibition venues include Museo Del Barrio, NY; Parisian Laundry, Mtl; Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul; and Dak’Art, Dakar.

Patricia Kaersenhout investigates her Surinamese heritage in relation to her upbringing in Western Europe. She has taught global art and social practice at de Kooning Academy and lectures at Decolonial Summer School in Middelburg.

Søren Thilo Funder employs cinematic narratives and video to generate new spaces for counter-memory. He has participated in international residencies, exhibitions, and biennials including Sydney, Istanbul, Moscow, and Liverpool.

Jens Haaning’s work addresses the issue of racism in Scandinavian society. He has exhibited extensively, including at Documenta XI, the Istanbul Biennial, ICA London; de Appel, the Gwangju Biennale, and Apexart.

Tina Helen engages with questions of urban politics and power structures. Past projects include workshops and outreach in Zagreb, Kabul, and Cairo. She is also a co-creator of visAvis, a magazine on asylum and migration.

Maj Hasager examines how identity, memory, and the construction of history and architecture are interpreted and represented culturally and spatially. She has exhibited widely and is programme director of Critical and Pedagogical Studies at Malmö Art Academy.

Stine Marie Jacobsen uses art to enable civic engagement within communities. She has participated in international residencies including in Bogotá and Berlin, a city where she also collaborates with Gangway, a street work organization.

Jane Jin Kaisen draws upon her experience as a transnational adoptee to engage charged histories and legacies of race, gender, class, and identity. She has exhibited widely including at Videonale, Kyoto Arts Center, and the DePaul Art Museum.

Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen takes a humorous yet critical approach to addressing her own art historical heritage and the place of women in art history in general. Selected exhibitions include the Venice Biennale, Performa09, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Busan Biennial.

Critical Distance is grateful to the Danish Arts Foundation for their generous support for this exhibition.

Additional support is provided by Dunn House B&B in Parkdale: www.dunnhousebnb.com

image: Jeannette Ehlers and Patricia Kaersenhout, The Image of Me (video still), 2012