PRESS RELEASE

SHOWTIME
Simon Grimm, Jørgen Carlo Larsen, Torben Ribe

Stalke Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of the exhibition SHOWTIME featuring Simon Grimm, Jørgen Carlo Larsen, and Torben Ribe. SHOWTIME is the result of an extraordinary collaborative effort between the three artists, transforming the gallery space with references to both theatrical and artistic staging.

In the exhibition SHOWTIME, the gallery's ability to stage objects and the individual work's ability to become a staged setting serve as a shared reference frame for the artists and determine the final exhibition. The gallery is the stage where artworks perform. The artists allow the gallery space — perhaps not the neutral white cube after all — to become part of the artwork, playing the role of a set piece, which brings another level of ambiguity to the room. The space oscillates between stage and backstage, between public and private. Individual works are hung and arranged according to different systems in the gallery, thus staging the space on the terms of public presentation. Simultaneously, discreet spatial elements hint at backstage life, something private.

These elements have both the character of scenography, theatrically pointing to a specific type of space, and autonomous sculptural elements. One of the objects lies materially and aesthetically between an overused wardrobe, referencing the private sphere, and a "trashy" plinth, a classic way of staging three-dimensional objects. This duality is significant throughout the exhibition, where the works appear as upcoming idols with star quality, while simultaneously embodying the character of fading prima donnas with running makeup and a scent of past successes, glamour, and melancholy.

The exhibition is an exploration of the gallery space’s role as well as a manipulation of that space. The artists play with the theme of staging in relation to how art performs in a room, how art operates in society, and how people perform on life’s stage. This staging is immediately entertaining and amusing, but beneath the surface lie reflections on illusion and integrity — where is the boundary between role and reality? What are we seeing when we are watching SHOWTIME?