Jeannette Ehlers • I AM HERE

What we do → Mostra 2019

Jeannette Ehlers • I AM HERE

CURATED BY
Martin Rørtoft (Arkipelago)

IN COLLABORATION WITH
BASE Milano, Ambasciata di Danimarca in Italia, VisitDenmark Milano & Istituto Culturale Nordico

SUPPORT BY
Danish Art Foundation & Knud Højgaards Fond

17.01.2019
CAN ART SPARK SOCIAL CHANGE?
@ BASE MILANO

5pm - 7pm
Screening and artist talk by Jeannette Ehlers

7pm - 9pm
Symposio: J. Ehlers, M. Angelotti, B. Catanzaro, A. Detheridge, M. Melilli, M. Rørtoft and G. Scardi

From
18.01.2019 to 25.01.2019 exhibition @Careof

Opening
18.01.2019
h 6pm

In I Am Here Jeannette Ehlers confronts us with narratives from Europe that are often oppressed and overlooked - narratives of migration, human trafficking and colonization and the intertwining of them. I Am Here consists of the videos The Gaze (2018) and Invisible Empire (2010).

Jeannette Ehlers is a video, photo and performance artist based in Copenhagen, Denmark. For years she has created artworks that delve into ethnicity and identity inspired by her own Danish and Caribbean background. Her pieces revolve around big questions and difficult issues, such as Denmark's role as a slave nation—a part of the Danish cultural heritage, which often gets overlooked in the general historiography. In the thematic complexity of her artistic projects, often her work critically points to the historical relations between Western colonization and present day flows of migration.

In her latest video piece "The Gaze", Ehlers focuses on structural relations between colonialism, racism and migration. Silent narratives of migration are told through the eyes and bodies of the people watching you from the screen.

"Invisible Empire" intertwines The Transatlantic slave trade with modern slavery; human trafficking. Ehlers works thematically revolve around Danish slave trade in colonial times. With The Invisible Empire she looks at today’s slave trade, also known as human trafficking. By introducing her father in this context, she subtly intertwines her personal history with the narrative of the work. Her questioning of historical ties and personal implications unfolds a strong pull on the viewer while raising awareness for servitude in globalized societies.

ARTIST BIO

Jeannette Ehlers

Based in Copenhagen, Denmark.Graduated from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts 2006. Experimental nature generally characterizes Jeannette Ehlers's work. Image manipulation is often included in the artist's photographic and video based works. On these changeable terms meaning and identity are explored, in both a sophisticated and immediate way. For years she has created cinematic universes that delve into ethnicity and identity inspired by her own Danish / West Indian background. She challenges and explores the film medium’s ability to communicate in a visually fascinating and engaging language. Creating imaginative stories with both edge and sharpness, her work still retain the broad appeal. Her pieces revolve around big questions and difficult issues, such as Denmark's role as a slave nation - part of the Danish cultural heritage, which often gets overlooked in the general historiography. In the Spring 2014 Jeannette Ehlers had a major solo presentation of her works at Nikolaj Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center. Her works were also part of the group show CARIBBEAN: Crossroads of the World, Pérez Art Museum Miami as well as DAK’ART 2014, Biennale of Dakar, Senegal among more.