Outside Salon des Refusés

2023 
Sculptural installation  

1. Syn, made of glass
   
2. Forest Bussy [Skogsbusen], made of wood from the woods
   
3. Leaferess [Lövjerska], made of leaves
   
4. The Nix [Näcken], made of reeds
   
5. Queen Omma [Drottning Omma], made of ferns and rowan wood from Omsberg
   
6. Gefion, made of soil from Vänern
   
7. Giant [Jätte], made of mos
   
8. Lake maid [Sjöfrun], made of water from Lake Aspe
   
9. Forest Executive [Skogsrå], made of birch
   
10. Shoe-Ella [Sko-Ella], made of razor clam
    
11. Queen Hoe [Drottning Hacka], made of fieldstones from Säve
    
12. Idun, made of apple
    
13. Merthem [Sjöjunghen], made of eelgras
    
14. Nisse [Tomte], made of nuts
    
15. Lindworm [Lindorm], made of linden
    
16. Hervard, made of bones
    
17. Oat Sissy [Havreskvattet], made of oat
    
18. Lantern Lad [Lyktgubbe], made of lamps
    
19. Saggy Tits [Slattenpatten], made of driftwood
    
20. Elli [Elle], made of lichen
    
21. Yule Goat [Julbock], made of grass
    
22. The Milk Hare [Bjära/Mjölkhara], made of milk cartons
    
23. That Bitch [Kællingen], made of sand and rocks from the Faroe Islands 

Figures from Scandinavian folklore, Norse mythology and the Nordic past orbit the entrance to a nightclub. They are all flocking to and from their safe space where they have formed a community with a center of gravity outside of our reality, beyond a door we can never enter. Here they are free to be heathen, uncivil, unnatural, TOO natural, cursed or queer – liberated from their troubled pasts and dealings with horrid humans…  

Each character is embodied by a natural element and wears a custom outfit that expresses their being and individual, updated backstory. The figures spring from legends, myths and stories which are often invoked with conservative sentiment as remnants of a lost past. However, these renditions imagine an unbroken timeline – a criss-crossing, continued multiverse of social histories, with primordial powers, identity politics, magic and gentrification alike.  

The sculptures are made from foraged materials, some of which have been sourced from Västra Götaland and Haland, connecting the work in the most direct sense to the ground the stories have sprung from. 

Commissioned by: Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art; 1646 –Experimental Art Space    

Supported by: Västra Götalands Regionen; The Danish Arts Foundation  

Courtesy of: Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen; Jack Barrett Gallery, New York.  

Je te vous présente

2023 
Performance (15 mins)  

Rasmus Myrup introduces you to his folkloric friends from Norse Mythology, Scandinavian legends and Swedish stories. We’ll hear about everything from the Skogsrå’s frustrations with the corporate dress code to Gefion’s once-a-year acid trip to alleviate the pressure of mothering four baby oxen, who are now all grown up…  

Rasmus Myrup investigates the big narratives of humanity’s existence, evolution, and history through the lens of small, personal, and intimate emotions. Through his practice, he seeks to understand other times, species, and worlds – and in that way everything from Neanderthals to trees or folklore can provide new perspectives on our understanding of death, sex and power.  

Myrup has recently exhibited at: Kunstverein Göttingen; Jack Barrett; Nicolai Wallner; Hordaland Kunstcenter; Kunsthal Charlottenborg; Pina; High Art; Overgaden; and Maison Du Danemark 

Röda Sten Konsthall