Utopia Exists, But Now It's Over

Owen Paul Armour (AUS/DK)
Opening Wednesday 29th of MAY 2024
16:00 - 19:00
Art Matter Festival 2024

I forbindelse med Art Matter Festival 2024 vil Stereo Exchange præsentere en udstilling og open studio med stedets kunstneriske og kuratoriske leder Owen Paul Armour. Udstillingen viser nye værker, der er produceret som følge af Armours transformative residency og udstilling på MMCA Korea 2023, støttet af Statens Kunstfond.

Kom forbi og oplev Armours værker While Standing Up ‘Utopia Exists but Now it’s Over’ / While Laying Down ‘We Bury What We Steal’, hvor neandertaleres forfædrende ekkoer smelter sammen med det moderne menneske. Armour former en fortælling i medier, der danner bro over epoker, og væver empati og desperation ind i værktøjer og våben, der reflekterer over neurodiversitet såvel aktuelt som historisk og koncentrationsevnens flydende kvalitet med hans eget liv som bagtæppe.

Ditykonet Confucianism Implies I Talk Too Much kanaliserer stærke kontraster inspireret af udtrykket “Cheer up Korea! Have a nice day.” Denne almindelige vending, påtrykt papirkopperne ved vandkøleren i lobbyen på Leeum Museum som en opmuntring, er i værket omformet til i stedet at konfrontere selvtilfredsheden, idet værket blander optimisme med eksistensens alvor og måder at håndtere interne kampe eksternt.

Disse stærke værker - vist sammen med nye skulpturelle og akustiske installationer, der er udformet efter opholdet i Korea, viser det dybe indtryk oplevelserne i Sydkorea har haft på Owen Paul Armours kunst og liv.

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At the Art Matter Festival 2024, Stereo Exchange will present an exhibition and open studio of the artist and its artistic director Owen Paul Armour, with new works produced from his transformative residency and exhibition at MMCA Korea 2023, supported by the Danish Arts Foundation.

Experience Armour’s pieces, "While Standing Up 'Utopia Exists but Now It's Over'" / "While Laying Down 'We Bury What We Steal'," where the ancestral echoes of Neanderthals converge with the modern human. Armour crafts a narrative in mediums that bridge epochs, weaving empathy and despair into tools and weapons, reflecting on current and historical neurodiversity and the fluidity of attention spans against the tapestry of his own life.

The diptych "Confucianism Implies I Talk Too Much" channels stark contrasts which are inspired by the phrase "Cheer up Korea! Have a nice day." Emblazoned on the paper cups at the water cooler in Leeum Museum lobby, this ordinary phrase offering words of encouragement, are recast to confront complacency, merging optimism with the gravity of existence and ways of dealing with internal battles externally.

These compelling works, alongside new sculptural and acoustic installations conceived post-Korea, prove to reveal the deep impact of Owen Paul Armour’s South Korean experiences on his art and life.

The Artist would like to thank:
Park Heejung, Hamin Kim, Toke Martins, Anne Kølbæk Iversen, Kevin Malcolm, Sora Kim, Frederik Hardvendel, Yoonseo Kim, Heejoo Hong, Miru Kim, Ida Schyum , Mads Bartholin Herred Johnsen & kristine tillge lund.

This exhibition & residency has been supported by:
Statens Kunstfond / The Danish Arts Foundation
@statenskunstfond
MMCA Korea (National Museum of modern & contemporary art)
@mmcakorea
Statens Vaerksteder for Kunst
@statensvaerksteder
Ceramic Creative Center (Korea)
@ceramic_creative_center
Art Matter Festival
@artmatterfestival

WHAT- Utopia Exists but Now It's Over
WHO - Owen Paul Armour (AUS/DK)
OPENING - 29th of MAY 2024
TIME - 16:00 - 18:00
ON VIEW - 29th of MAY 2024 until the 28th of June 2024
OPEN - Saturdays 13 to 16 or by appointment
CONTACT - @stereoexchangecph or youandme@stereoexchange.dk
WHERE - Mariendalsvej 52A, st.th, 2000 Frederiksberg, DK. Se

e map

Above Images:
Owen Paul Armour (AUS/DK)
1. We Bury What We Steal (2023)
Human hair porcelain, pine wood, steel bearings, galvanised steel
Photo by ChadPark(@wavefilm)
2. Insert of "Utopia Exists, But Now It's Over" (2023)
Photo print, magnetic viewer, vinyl
– 29,7 cm x 42 cm
Image courtesy of the artist

Owen Paul Armour's artistic exploration has greatly expanded from a foundational interest in auditory art to a vibrant engagement with sculpture. In Owen's practice, sound extends beyond the acoustic to become a tactile entity, driving his creations into a visual influence on the representations of sound, known as "post sound" art. In this realm, the work is intentionally left imperfect, and contrasts in his creations are characterized by his use of ceramic and metal materials in unconventional formats. With a dedication to both sculpture and sound, his forms that have emerged from sound shun formal audio art presentation for an unfamiliar, raw, and emotive installation experience.

In Armour's sculptures, contrasts such as the heavy and the light, the yielding and the steadfast, as well as the tranquil and the vibrant, all converge, creating a harmonious bridge between the tangible and the fantastical. These sculptures transcend mere physicality to become narratives that resonate within their forms, compelling the onlooker to delve into a contemplative dialogue and allowing viewers to experience a unique auditory recollection within an installation. Armour forges a silent discourse between sound and its ensuing stillness, crafting each piece to echo a symphony of history, dreams, and collective memories, these silent narratives, woven from strands of chance, fantasy, and dissent, stand as mute storytellers against the backdrop of history, asking for pause and reflection.
Each work, whether tinged with subtle humor or imbued with stark sobriety, occupies its space with a gentle presence, echoing the quiet homage it pays to the auditory experiences it represents, transforming intangible sound into the stillness of visibility and imprinted with the intimate and collective histories they carry.

Armour’s work has been shown broadly in both solo and group dynamics in Europe, Australia, Asia, and the USA. He has built his practice outside of the art school system, developing through attending prestigious residencies worldwide such as MMCA Korea, ISCP in NYC, The Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, Artspace Sydney, and Cité internationale des arts in Paris. These experiences have been integral to his growth, providing fertile ground for creative evolution and his approach, deepening his artistic conversation and building on his oeuvre.

His passion for the interplay of sound and art through his own practice, and actively nurturing innovation from within and broadening the artistic dialogue both in Denmark and internationally.

CONTACT - @stereoexchangecph or youandme@stereoexchange.dk
WHERE - Mariendalsvej 52A, st.th, 2000 Frederiksberg, DK. See map

The exhibition opening hours could be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.

@armoured_owen
@stereoexchangecph
#contemporaryart
#art
#artistrunspace
#projectspace
@statensvaerksteder

This exhibitiom has been supported by the Danish Arts Foundation & Statens Vaerksteder for Kunst

Stereo Exchange

Mariendalsvej 52A, AT. 2
2000 Frederiksberg, DK.
See map

youandme@stereoexchange.dk

CVR: 39042096

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Stereo Exchange is and has been supported by the Danish Arts Foundation, Frederiksberg Fonden, Ny Carlsbergfondets,
Danmarks Nationalbanks Jubilæumsfond af 1968 & Statens Vaerksteder for Kunst