19 Apr 2013

Eric Andersen at Nikolaj Kunsthal / Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center

Nikolaj, Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center, presents the exhibition LIAISON by Eric Andersen. At one and the same time, LIAISON is a new major work; a giant installation in the Lower Gallery of the Art Center to be changed every third day; and a kind of retrospective presentation.

For more than 50 years, Eric Andersen has manifested himself, in a Danish as well as an international setting, as a Fluxus and an intermedia artist – and with LIAISON, older as well as newer works spanning the entire oeuvre have been re-contextualised as an integral part of the overall installation. The installation has not only been physically created for the high, arched room, but also references Nikolaj's heritage as the framework of artistic communication.

In the 1960's, Eric Andersen's work was closely tied to the Nikolaj Art Center because of the 'Kunstbiblioteket' then residing there and functioning as the primary Danish Fluxus venue. Andersen's last work in the Nikolaj/Kunstbiblioteket context marked the latter's final manifestation in the building in 1970: a high scaffolding construction, presenting films and other projects on different levels. With a reference to this work, LIAISON fills the former church room with stairs and platforms, allowing guests to wander freely in the three dimensions of the room, going from platform to platform, 15 altogether, within the four levels of the scaffolding.

Half the platforms either feature reconstructions or documentation of Andersen's works from the 1960's to this day. Among the older works are Fluxus scores for events from the early 60's, among these Fluxus in Nikolaj, material from POEX (1965), Solplænen ('The Sun Lawn', 1965), the satellite project Marianne (1989) that can light three new stars in the sky , as well as Opus 90 (1990) at the National Gallery of Denmark – Andersen's take on a project that may be both a changeable event and a part of a permanent museum collection. There is also the large project Margrethefjorden (1996), the soundtrack of which consists of a concert for lead weights from Roskilde Cathedral , and various newer works. The methods differ: objects, writing pads from which pages may be removed and taken home, video, sound, photos. They all contribute to identifying an artistic practice located at some intangible junction of them all.

The other platforms have been arranged in such a way as to allow guests to express themselves. Eric Andersen puts is thus, 'There will, among others, be an area for five persons discussing a very important matter. Another one for a given number of people singing together. An area for two women and a man enjoying each other's company, an area for people who have gone somewhere else, etc...'.

The exhibition is not merely about artistic processes: it is, in and of itself, a process. Every third day, the exhibition undergoes some kind of change – new things may be added or others relocated.

At the end of each exhibition day, Eric Andersen will give a 15 mins long organ concert, and each Thurday at 7:30 pm, the artist will invite all interested to be a part of a jam session. To follow this process, a special 'Come as you please' LIAISON ticket can be bought at DKK 50.-