A Claydies Affair

28.08.21 – 28.11.21

The selfie concept includes both a self-serving element, but also often irony, spontaneity and humour. In the exhibition A Claydies Affair, artist duo Claydies, alias Karen Kjældgård-Larsen and Tine Broksø, take an affectionate look at today’s selfie culture. Unpretentiously and with humour, they investigate the phenomenon of the ‘museum selfie’, that particular style of photography where people pose and stage themselves in front of or surrounded by eye-catching and colourful artworks.

The ceramic works are shaped like torsos of string vests and T-shirts, knickers or trousers and skirts. Bottomless dishes invite the viewer to crawl under the table, put an apple in their mouth and present their head on a dish. Jugs exhibited at waist-height invite people of all genders to play at being a man for a day.

Claydies’ works invite the viewer to stage themselves, but also provide a forum for discussing how we view, perceive – and photograph art. The exhibition is thus also a humorous and unassuming contribution to the current discussion on stereotypes and self-awareness.

Claydies made their debut on the Danish art and design scene 20 years ago with their iconic ‘hairstyle bowls’, which can also be seen in the exhibition. These bowls pushed Claydies into the media spotlight and nudged the applied arts towards self-awareness through a conceptual play between art and design, irony and self-staging. With the exhibition’s huge dress-up jars, Claydies align themselves with their original approach and show that play as an artistic strategy can still be invigorating, fresh and current.

You can already find three of the artist duo’s ceramic ‘selfie’ objects in Augustiana Art Park. These outdoor works are shaped like a blouse, skirt and a hairstyle respectively, and are all inspired by the flamboyant princess and dowager Louise Augusta, who resided at Det Hvide Palæ from 1820-1843. For the remainder of the exhibition year, the mansion will also form the backdrop for ‘A Claydies Affair’.

Tine Broksø and Karen Kjældgård-Larsen make up the artist duo Claydies. They are both trained ceramicists and graduated from the Danish Design School in 2000. Claydies was formed the same year with the aim of creating a joint artistic identity. The two ladies have been working with clay ever since. Claydies works with ceramics, unique pieces, exhibitions and design, attacking areas in novel ways to find new forms of expression. The pair play around with the familiar, turn things upside-down and weave new meanings and stories into well-known narratives. Claydies has received funding from the Danish Arts Foundation, among others, and has exhibited at museums and galleries in both Denmark and abroad. The duo are recognised for their innovative design and one-off pieces, including their ceramic coiffure catwalk. Karen Kjældgård-Larsen is also known for the Mega Mussel dinnerware series, which is manufactured by Royal Copenhagen.