ICE EDGE
BY JACOB KIRKEGAARD

18.06.22 - 21.08.22

The exhibition Ice Edge by Jacob Kirkegaard reflected on ice as a phenomenon, as a material and as an image of the way our planet and our world are changing.

MELT

In the work MELT, we hear the sound of ice going from solid to liquid state. Composed from sound recordings made in the Arctic regions, we encounter the sounds of the landscape – from squeaking ice caps and rippling waters to ice shelves collapsing into the sea. Here, our conceptions of ice come up against the actual sounds of nature. As an explorer – with microphone in hand – Kirkegaard creates a counter-narrative to traditional notions of the white silence in the quiet North.

SOME SAY THE WORLD WILL END IN FIRE

The work Some say the world will end in fire reflects on the linguistic and cultural implications of the forces of nature in the Anthropocene Epoch. In a soft whisper, Nordic words and expressions used to describe ice and snow are spoken, but slowly losing their meaning because the world that they embodied is gradually vanishing.

At a time, where nature is no longer a counterpart to civilization and culture but rather a sign of our presence on earth, the exhibition brought us closer to a phenomenon we hear a lot about but rarely listen to. Ice Edge was a reminder of the consequences of global warming for the shared planetary life of humans and nature, with the bunkers serving for a little while as time pockets for words and phenomena that might disappear within a few decades.

Jacob Kirkegaard (DK) works as a sound artist and composer reflecting on complex and unapproachable conditions and environments, from radioactivity in Chernobyl to melting ice in the Arctic Ocean. Sound and field recordings are a central part of his work, giving form to intangible themes through video, compositions and installations. 

Jacob Kirkegaard holds an MA from Academy of Media Arts in Köln. He has presented his work throughout the world, including MoMA in New York, LOUISIANA and ARoS in Denmark og Mori Art Museum in Tokyo.

Opening: 26 March 2022, 14.00-16.00.
Exhibition period: 26 March - 5 June 2022.
Opening hours: daily 10.00-17.00. Admission to Regelbau 411 is free.

The exhibition has been curated by Matilde Best and Simon Thykjær.

Photo credit: Mikkel Kaldal

The exhibition Ice Edge is kindly supported by the Danish Arts Foundation, the Augustinus Foundation, the Obel Family Foundation and Sound Art Lab.