Preview of ‘Summation’ at Nordic Embassies

Oct. 17, 2024

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Nordic Embassies in Berlin, the group exhibition ‘Summation’ reflects on Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s words: “Each autonomous, and yet together.” This phrase has been guiding the collaboration of the five embassies (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) in their shared premises, honoring the Nordic nations’ longstanding alliances. Likewise, it inspires interpersonal bonds that, through listening, trust and care, can pave the way to a better future.

‘Summation’ features works by 10 leading Nordic artists⁠—A. K. Dolven, Aksel Ree, Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir, Aura Hakuri, Christian Partos, Hanna Ljungh, Hans Rosenström, Jeppe Hein, Mille Kalsmose and Ragnar Kjartansson⁠—who address the interplay between individuality and community. Alongside explorations of human nature, temporality, memory and emotion, it invites viewers to reflect upon their own position and capacity to create change in collaboration with others.

Hans Rosenström: ‘Once Apart,’ 2024, installation view // Courtesy of the artist

Curated by Margrét Áskelsdóttir, the exhibition draws its title from the concept of binaural summation—the phenomenon in which a sound is perceived as louder when heard with both ears than when heard with one alone. The audience is invited to figuratively turn one ear inward and the other outward, merging the melody of internal monologue with the voices around it into a single guiding song, made all the more compelling by its manifold sources.

Featured artworks include A.K. Dolven’s video ‘I Hold Your Head in My Hands’ (1999), which visually interprets a poem by Stein Mehren, showcasing two hands cradling the head of another person and capturing the essence of care and the balance between support and uncertainty. Hans Rosenström’s ‘Once Apart’ (2024), created for ‘Summation,’ connects visitors to each other and the surrounding space through physical, visual and auditory means. Jeppe Hein’s ‘Breathe with Me’ (2024) is a large-scale public artwork inviting audiences to contribute their own “breath” to the piece, promoting self-awareness while visualizing the collective breath of the world. Ragnar Kjartansson’s ‘What Have We Done to Deserve This’ (2023) is a video from an 11-hour filmed performance in which the artist and his friend, actress and comedian Saga Garðarsdóttir, recreate an atmosphere of “nihilistic hygge” while listening to a 1940s Icelandic song and repeatedly uttering the titular phrase.

Ragnar Kjartansson: ‘What Have We Done to Deserve This,’ 2023, film still // Courtesy of the artist

Additionally, for the interactive project ‘Voices of Tomorrow,’ visitors to ‘Summation’ are invited to reflect on the exhibition’s themes and share their thoughts for the future on notecards, which will be deposited into a specially designed box. After the exhibition, the box will be sealed and stored at the embassy complex for the next 25 years. When reopened, it will offer future generations a glimpse into our hopes and dreams, inspired by ‘Summation.’