Interspecies Assembly by SUPERFLEX for ART 2030: Former exhibition at DAC
Exhibition
Oct 28 - Nov 28, 2021
Interspecies Assembly by SUPERFLEX for ART 2030 was shown in 2021 outside DAC in BLOX as a publicly accessible, two-part artwork: the interactive video installation Vertical Migration in DAC Passage and pink limestone sculptures on Bryghuspladsen.
Biodiversity is collapsing, sea levels are rising, and weather is becoming more extreme and unpredictable.
Human activity is at the root of climate change, and our unwillingness to listen to the wants and needs of other species is contributing to the Earth’s ecological turmoil. In the face of this crisis, the internationally recognized Danish artist group SUPERFLEX created the artwork Interspecies Assembly. The artwork was publicly accessible and consisted of two parts.
Interspecies Assembly was exhibited at BLOX, as sustainable development, and the realization of the UN Global Goals, is a focal point for both the Danish Architecture Center and BLOXHUB, which is a Nordic hub for companies, organizations, research institutions and public bodies working with architecture, design, construction, tech etc. related to sustainable urban development.
Photo: Dansk Arkitektur Center (DAC) Vertical Migration
Vertical Migration was an interactive animated film depicting a siphonophore. The siphonophore responded to viewer’s presence: When the viewer was active in the space, the siphonophore would retract and remain distant, while when the viewer was idle, the siphonophore came closer and eventually a state of symbiosis between the siphonophore and the idle viewer could be achieved.
The installation in DAC Passage was only active from sunset to sunrise, just like the siphonophora organism only surfaces from deep sea at night.
Interspecies Assembly
Interspecies Assembly was a series of pink marble sculptures, arranged in a broken circle, demarcates a space in which humans must temporarily slow down and become active listeners to their co-species. If they give up their human exceptionalism and learn to listen, they might recognize the agencies and voices of other life forms. With the aim of enforcing a state of idleness on humans so that other species could flourish, an “Interspecies Contract” was carved into one of the sculptures, encouraging visitors to change their behavior.
From New York to Denmark
Interspecies Assembly was first presented in New York in September 2021 during the UN General Assembly, where the video installation Vertical Migration was projected onto the façade of the UN’s iconic headquarter and the installation Interspecies Assembly was exhibited in Central Park.
The artwork travelled to Kunsten Aalborg Kunstmuseum in February 2022.
About SUPERFLEX
SUPERFLEX Originally founded in 1993 by Jakob Fenger, Rasmus Rosengren Nielsen and Bjørnstjerne Christiansen. SUPERFLEX is a Copenhagen-based artist group working with an idea of art that is not bound to any specific form or context.
Their artistic practice embraces different perspectives and focuses on applying artistic agency to all beings. It questions structures of power, ownership, collective action, environmental challenges, and interspecies relations. SUPERFLEX works with a wide range of media and topics, with a focus social, political and economic systems.
Experience it online!
A digital exhibition developed in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture – bringing together contributions from partner institutions and experts on oceans, biodiversity, climate change, and more – was launching alongside the opening of Interspecies Assembly.
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What was Interspecies Assembly by SUPERFLEX for ART 2030?
Interspecies Assembly by SUPERFLEX for ART 2030 was a publicly accessible artwork at BLOX/DAC addressing climate change and biodiversity, made up of two parts.
When could visitors experience the work at BLOX/DAC?
The work was on view from 28 Oct to 28 Nov 2021.
What were the two on-site components of Interspecies Assembly?
It included the video installation Vertical Migration in DAC Passage and the sculpture installation Interspecies Assembly on Bryghuspladsen.
When was the video installation Vertical Migration active?
The installation in DAC Passage was active from sunset to sunrise.
What were the Bryghuspladsen sculptures made from and presented as?
The sculptures were made from pink limestone and presented as a physical gathering place encouraging people to slow down and listen, with a focus on wellbeing and biodiversity.
What should I know if I only read one thing?
Interspecies Assembly (28 Oct–28 Nov 2021) was a two-part SUPERFLEX work at BLOX/DAC, combining a night-time video installation in DAC Passage with pink limestone sculptures on Bryghuspladsen.
This exhibition is developed by SUPERFLEX in close collaboration with KWY.studio
Legal consultation by Daniel McClean. Graphic design in close collaboration with Rasmus Koch Studio.
Vertical Migration is commissioned by ART 2030 and TBA21–Academy and it was developed in close collaboration with Kollision.
Supported by
Ny Carlsbergfondet
Det Obelske Familiefond
Beckett Fonden
Statens Kunstfond
Thanks to
Lance Gerber
Ulrik Jantzen/Büro Jantzen
Eskinder Debebe
Courtesy of SUPERFLEX