Bo Christian Larsson "The Emperor’s New Thoughts"
Ludlow 38 / The Goethe-Institut New York
This event has ended.
Ludlow 38 presents a new site-specific installation by Berlin-based Swedish artist Bo Christian Larsson. The Emperor’s New Thoughts will unfold during a happening with live music by Shawn Greenlee, a recording of which will contribute to a subsequent installation in the gallery.
Bo Christian Larsson uses his drawings and paintings as blueprints for his installations, which often are the outcome of happenings. For each happening, many of the spatial elements and references are pre-chosen, while the spontaneous moments are not controlled. This combination of spontaneity and intention is prominent in Larsson’s practice; the artist sees no difference between his finished work and its process. Working with obscure and mysterious symbols, Larsson simultaneously plays with the clichés of symbolism and the common reading of clichés.
The starting point of The Emperor’s New Thoughts is a loose adaption of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen’s well-known fairy tale The Emperor’s New Clothes. Larsson had parts of the tale translated through synaesthesia, a neurological condition in which certain experiences, such as color and taste, are combined. The words of Andersen’s story were translated into colors and shapes of familiar symbols, like circles and squares. During the happening, one of Larsson’s Alter Egos will activate the visualization of the synaesthetic interpretation by pulling strings. The strings release pigments in a certain order, creating forms in a brightly lit room, serving as a stage. This translation of movements into shapes is followed by another translation, into music. Drawing on his longstanding interest in music, the artist collaborates with Shawn Greenlee, a sound artist who will make the shapes audible with customized instruments, in a direct reaction to the happening.
Media
Schedule
from May 18, 2012 to June 10, 2012
Opening Reception on 2012-05-17 from 18:00 to 21:00