Kasper Sonne
On Destruction and Decoration KASPER SONNE
Destruction was my Beatrice 1
This was not some kind of destruction that Kasper Sonne was pursuing with passion in order to arrive at some fantasy Paradiso. What he wanted was to make it his ally, to master it in order to constrain it, rationally, coldly, meticulously. It is not the source of chaos, but the means to access a pure formal beauty, sober and grandiloquent. And yet, during these reveries, the walker was far from solitary. At his side we can make out ghosts and luminous spirits, amongst them Yves Klein. With him he shares a passion for fi re (Peintures de feu vs. Borderline (New Territory)), the tension of the monochrome and the practice of martial arts (judo vs. Wing Chun). Similarly there is something of Steven Parrino in his desire to put painting at risk through a radical gesture; something of Andy Warhol in the way that his Toxic Paintings seem to have grown out of Warhol’s Oxidation Paintings; and, in his Floor Piece, a hint of an impromptu encounter between Daniel Buren and Carl Andre. Yet the power of Kasper Sonne’s work resides precisely in his ability to reject any shackles, to struggle against fields of resistance. He understands innately that the best way to pay homage to a legacy is to reject it. This is the only way to free yourself and to tread your own path; to learn an important lesson from the fi fth Gospel. «Quatorze exemples authentiques du triomphe de la musique décorativet 2» If the Beyond exists, it exists beyond conceptual rigor, in the long forgotten purgatory named aesthetics. The work of Kasper Sonne effectively brings the body and the spirit together again, opens destruction up to beauty, refines the delicate art of modern day alchemy. By scattering various traces (chemical products, imprints of the body, burns), by playing around with the invisible as it hinders us in our inattentive progression, controlling chance and the elements, he guides us, like a sulfurous Beatrice, towards Beauty. A disturbing sensation, that of being at once charmed by the precision of his thought and overcome by the elegance of his work. Make no mistake. His work does not share the mystical enthusiasm of Romanticism or Symbolism; it is defi nitively anchored in the violence of Frank Stella’s thought. Art is a dangerous game, but infi nitely appealing: a reason to stand fi rmly on a skidproof rug and, full of hope, let yourself be cast into the void. Not to destroy, but for the sheer joy of throwing yourself into the decor. Benjamin Bianciotto
1) I would like to thank Jean de Loisy for pointing out this quotation, taken from a letter written by Stéphane Mallarmé to Eugène Lefébure in May 1867, which is highly pertinent to the work of Kasper Sonne. 2) «Fourteen authentic examples of the triumph of decorative music» - Title of an album by Cinema Strange, Trisol, 2006.
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On Destruction and Decoration KASPER SONNE
La destruction fut ma Béatrice 1
Cette destruction, Kasper Sonne ne l’a pas poursuivie amoureusement jusqu’à accéder à un paradis fantasmé. Il a plutôt cherché à en faire son alliée, à la maîtriser pour mieux la contraindre, rationnellement, froidement, méticuleusement. Elle n’est pas la source d’un chaos, mais l’accession à une pureté formelle, sobre et grandiloquente. Pourtant, lors de ces rêveries, le promeneur était loin d’être solitaire. A ses côtés, on devine nombre de fantômes et d’esprits éclairants, au premier rang desquels on aperçoit Yves Klein. Ensemble, ils partagent l’amour du feu (Peintures de feu vs. Borderline (New Territory)), la tension du monochrome, ou encore la pratique des arts martiaux (judo vs. Wing Chun). Tout comme il y a du Steven Parrino dans la volonté de mettre à mal la peinture dans un geste radical, du Andy Warhol dans les Toxic Paintings qui fl eurent bon les Oxidation Paintings, ou la rencontre impromptue de Daniel Buren et de Carl André dans son Floor Piece. Or, la grande force du travail de Kasper Sonne réside précisément dans sa capacité à refuser les entraves, à lutter contre les champs de résistance. Il a bien compris que le plus bel hommage que l’on pouvait rendre à un héritage était de le refuser. C’est également la seule manière de s’en affranchir et de créer son propre chemin ; de tirer les leçons du cinquième évangile. «Quatorze exemples authentiques du triomphe de la musique décorative 2» Si au-delà il y a, il se situe au-delà de la rigueur conceptuelle, dans ce purgatoire longtemps écarté de l’esthétique. Les oeuvres de Kasper Sonne réconcilient en effet le corps à l’esprit, ouvrent la destruction à la beauté, affi nent l’art délicat de l’alchimie moderne. Semant des traces diverses (produits chimiques, empreintes de corps, brûlures), s’amusant de l’invisible, celui qui vous freine dans votre progression inattentive, contrôlant le hasard et les éléments, il nous guide, sulfureuse Béatrice, vers le Beau. Sensation troublante alors d’être à la fois charmé par la précision réfl exive et emporté par l’élégance de la création. Qu’on ne s’y trompe pas cependant. Son travail ne partage pas l’enthousiasme mystique du Romantisme ou du Symbolisme, il est défi nitivement ancré dans la violence de la pensée de Frank Stella. L’art est un jeu dangereux, mais infi niment attirant. De quoi assurer ses pas sur un tapis antidérapant et vouloir se jeter, empli d’espoir, dans le vide. Non pour détruire, mais pour le plaisir de se jeter dans le décor. Benjamin Bianciotto
1) Cette citation fort à propos faite au sujet du travail de Kasper Sonne, et extraite d’une lettre de Stéphane Mallarmé à Eugène Lefébure en mai 1867 me fut souffl ée par M. Jean de Loisy. Qu’il en soit ici vivement remercié. 2) Titre d’un album de Cinema Strange, Trisol, 2006.
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Solo show
On Destruction and Decoration
11 janvier au 1er mars 2014
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Borderline (new territory) n°32, 2013 Peinture brulÊe au feu et fixatif sur toile, cadre en aluminium Industrial paint and fixative on canvas, aluminum frame 105 x 80 x 4 cm
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Borderline (new territory) n°33, 2013 Peinture brulÊe au feu et fi xatif sur toile, cadre en aluminium Industrial paint and fi xative on canvas, aluminum frame 105 x 80 x 4 cm
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Borderline (new territory) n°34, 2013 Peinture brulÊe au feu et fixatif sur toile, cadre en aluminium Industrial paint and fixative on canvas, aluminum frame 105 x 80 x 4 cm
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TXC06, 2013 Peinture industrielle et produits chimiques sur toile, cadre en aluminium Industrial paint and chemicals on canvas, aluminum frame 107 x 92 x 5 cm
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Borderline (new territory) n°54, 2014 Peinture brulÊe au feu et fixatif sur toile, cadre en aluminium Industrial paint and fi xative on canvas, aluminum frame 200 x 300 x 5 cm
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Borderline (new territory) n°55, 2014 Peinture brulÊe au feu et fixatif sur toile, cadre en aluminium Industrial paint and fi xative on canvas, aluminum frame 200 x 300 x 5 cm
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TXC08, 2013 Peinture industrielle et produits chimiques sur toile, cadre en aluminium Industrial paint and chemicals on canvas, aluminum frame 122 x 97 x 5 cm
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TXC11, 2013 Peinture industrielle et produits chimiques sur toile, cadre en aluminium Industrial paint and chemicals on canvas, aluminum frame 122 x 97 x 5 cm
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TXC12, 2013 Peinture industrielle et produits chimiques sur toile, cadre en aluminium Industrial paint and chemicals on canvas, aluminum frame 102 x 77 x 5 cm
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Sans titre (Body Part n°5), 2013 Fonte d’aluminium sur socle / Cast aluminium on pedestal Sulpture : 47 x 25 x 22cm - Socle : 115 x 35 x 35 cm
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Sans titre (Body Part n°7), 2013 Fonte d’aluminium sur socle / Cast aluminium on pedestal Sulpture : 47 x 25 x 22cm - Socle : 115 x 35 x 35 cm
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Sans titre (Body Part n°11), 2013 Fonte d’aluminium sur socle / Cast aluminium on pedestal Sulpture : 47 x 25 x 22cm - Socle : 115 x 35 x 35 cm
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Temporal Structure (xxx) 2009 Grillages, fils ĂŠlectriques et ampoules
The Total Loss Of Innocence Regained / Primo piano, Paris, 2014 Vue d’exposition
De gauche Ă droite / left to the right Untitled (flag) No.2, 2012 Tapis, peinture et aluminium Commercial carpet, industrial paint, aluminum 90 x 150 cm Untitled (flag) No.2, 2012 Tapis, peinture et aluminium Commercial carpet, industrial paint, aluminum 208,3 x 125 cm Untitled (flag) No.2, 2012 Tapis, peinture et aluminium Commercial carpet, industrial paint, aluminum 180 x 270 cm
Kasper SONNE Né à Copenhague, Danemark, en 1974. Vit et travaille à New York.
Solo exhibition (selected) 2014 2013 2012 2010 2009 2006 2004 2003 2002
Bad Chemistry, Brand New Gallery, Milan, Italie On Destruction And Decoration, Galerie Olivier Robert, Paris, France Zero Emotional Content, The Hole, New York, US All Their Liess Are True, Henningsen Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark All Information Is Subject To Change, SALTS, Basel, Switzerland The Total Loss of Innocence Regained, Primo Piano, Paris F, curated by Emilia Stocchi Pure Colors, Charles Bank Gallery, New York, US Untitled Sign # 3, SAPS museum, Mexico City, Mexico Total Revolution, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark Trust Me, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark Small works, Gallery Beneath, Stockholm, Sweden Punk Rock Saves, Performance and installation, Myymala2, Helsinki, Finland Ambition makes you look pretty ugly, Turbinehallerne, Copenhagen, Denmark AM I EVIL?, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark The Dicktator Sucks!, I-N-K Institut for nutidskunst, Copenhagen, Denmark
Group exhibitions (selected) 2014 2013 2012 2011
Sputnik III, Barbara Seiller Gallery, Bassel, Switzerland Yeah and look where it got us, Mon Chéri, Brussels, Belgique, curatd by Jeanroch Dard and Philippe Valentin ZEIGEN - Karin Sander, Nikolaj Contemporary Art Center, Copenhagen, Denmark Room 1, Henningsen Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark The Wall, Galerie Olivier Robert, Paris, France, curated by Benjamin Bianciotto Secret Garden II, Gl. Holtegaard - gallery for contemporary and modern art, Denmark, curated by Mads Damsbo Tectonic, The Moving Museum, Dubai, UAE, curated by Simon Sakhai and Aya Mousavi IRL, Point B, New York, USA, curated by Mikkel Carl (Yet Untitled), Leila Heller Gallery, New York Us, curated by Sam Bardaouil and Til Fellrath Donatello parmi les fauves, Galerie Olivier Robert, curated by Benjamin Bianciotto An Øje at the Hole, The Hole, New York, US, curated by Jens-Peter Brask Overgarden at the Armory Show, New York, US, curated by Henriette Breton-Meyer Grey Area - Art and Object shop, Bass Museum of Art, Miami, US No One is an Island, LMCC at Governors Island, New York, US, curated by Omar Lopez-Chahoud Lake of Fire, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark, curated by Mikkel Carl Ut Pictura Poesis, Kunsthallen Nikolaj, Copenhagen, Denmark, curated by Jesper Elg Skateisan Benefi t Auction 2011, Lauritz Auction House, Copenhagen, Denmark The Festival of Ideas for the New City - initiated by New Museum, Charles Bank Gallery, New York, US What’s he building in there?, Fuse Gallery, New York, US, curated by Jesper Elg and Mikkel Grønnebæk Artprojx Cinema at the SVA Theatre, New York, US, curated by David Gryn Art Machine, The Hole, New York, US, curated by Alife and Kathy Grayson Status, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark January White Sale, Loretta Howard Gallery, New York, US, curated by Beth Rudin DeWoody
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2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
Faint to black, Henningsen Contemporary, Copenhagen, Denmark, curated by Mikkel Carl Art Moves, Commissioned billboard, Torun, Poland (catalogue) Paradiso, 17th annual Watermill Center benefi t, Watermill, NY, US Album, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark Seeing Voices, Stedman Gallery, Rutgers, New Jersey, US One Shot, Allmänna Galleriet 925, Stockholm, Sweden (catalogue) Summer Show, LaviolaBank Gallery, New York, US When the vacation is over for good, Pianissimo Gallery, Milan, Italy One Shot, Werkstette Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark (catalogue) The Destruction of Atlantis, Union Gallery, London, UK, Curated by Jesper Elg Year One, LaViolaBank Gallery, New York, US Benefi t HIV law project, Moti Hasson Gallery, New York, US 56° N, 10° E, Museo de San Carlos, Mexico City, Mexico FIGUR, Lauritz Kunsthal, Copenhagen, Denmark TEMPO, Skien, Norway, Public art commission, curated by Anne Szefer Karlsen What can desert islands do?, Seventeen Gallery, London, UK, curated by Paul Pieroni Spitting Image, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark Exportable Goods - Contemporary Danish Art, Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna, Austria, curated by Severin Dunser and Jesper N. Jorgensen The wish list, M+R Gallery, London, UK DNA, DogA, Norges Design og Arkitekturcenter, Oslo, Norway DNA, So Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden DNA, Galleri edition, Copenhagen, Denmark Framed, Turbinehallerne, Copenhagen, Denmark Video 2004, Bergen Kunsthall, Bergen, Norway 5 million Peace March, Let us talk while we walk 5, Ridehuset, Århus, Denmark 5 million Peace March, Let us talk while we walk 4, Espace SD, Beirut, Lebanon 5 million Peace March, Let us talk while we walk 3, Lothringer Dreizehn, Munich Lavender, Transplant Gallery, New York, US Dagen efter, Public art exhibition in the cities Copenhagen, Århus and Randers, Denmark One, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark Size 12, Galleri Asbæk, Copenhagen, Denmark KE 2002, Den Frie udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen, Denmark Gallery Luhmann, Nils Stærk Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark, Curated by Jason Dodge
Performative works (selected) 2011 2008 2004 2002
Sign Language, New Museums Festival of Ideas for the New City at Charles Bank Gallery, New York, US Untitled performance, Karriere Bar, Copenhagen, Denmark One night performance No.2, Stereo Bar, Copenhagen, Denmark One night performance No.1, Kkunst at Stereo bar, Copenhagen, Denmark
Education 1997-2000
BA, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation
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Galerie Olivier Robert 5 rue des Haudriettes, 75003 Paris T. +33 (0) 1 43 25 31 87 info{at}galerieolivierrobert.com — La galerie est ouverte du mardi au samedi de 14h à 19h et sur rendez-vous le samedi de 11h à 19h. - 26 -