In Scandinavia, what seems to be a fundamental interest in light (possibly generated from the relative rarity of it), has given birth to a prolific production of illuminated art and design works over the past hundred years. From the flickering particles of light in the paintings of Wilhelm Hammershøj, to Poul Henningsen’s patent-applied lamps, taming the crudity of the electrical bulb, to Olafur Eliasson’s immersive light installations based on sensorial color experience, light - and our perception of it - plays the starring role. This specific approach to light seems to be both poetically and scientifically (positivistically) rooted, and it is often related to nature.
The exhibition, Radiant, at Galerie Maria Wettergren explores the theme of light in art and design through a juxtaposition of contemporary Scandinavian works by Astrid Krogh, Ane Lykke, Cecilie Bendixen, Ilkka Suppanen, Lotte Westphael, Germans Ermičs & Boris Berlin, Mikko Paakkanen, Grethe Sørensen & Bo Hovgaard with French experimental photographs by Alain Bachelard, Etienne Bertrand Weill and Rodolphe Proverbio from the 1960s to the 1990s.
The art works in the exhibition Radiant are inspired by natural phenomena, with a particular attention to the dynamic aspects of light, as well as to its emotional impact on the beholder. Etymologically, the word Radiant both refers to rays of light and heat, and it is in this double sense that these works should be considered. Whether natural or artificial, reflected or absorbed, light is essentially a vibrant phenomenon, physically and emotionally, and it is this kinetic/poetic dimension of light, that is cultivated in the presented works: Light and (e)Motion.
