Press release -
Francis Upritchard unfolds a world of mermaids, mythical creatures and eccentric figures in her first Scandinavian exhibition
This autumn, Kunsthal Charlottenborg presents a solo exhibition with New Zealand-born sculptor Francis Upritchard. Presenting more than 100 works, this comprehensive exhibition creates a space somewhere between ideas of our past and visions for a future.
Francis Upritchard
Any Noise Annoys an Oyster
28 Sep 2024 – 16 Feb 2025
Francis Upritchard (b. 1976, based in London) works in a field where visual art and craft intersect. Her art takes on many different formats, ranging from large-scale figurative sculptures to ceramics, blown glass vases, jewellery and diminutive beings.
Upritchard’s references include ancient art, Asian folklore, 20th century European sculpture and science fiction literature as she investigates how the past is perceived today and what the future might look like. Among the exhibited works are sculptures embodying mythical and fantastic figures such as the centaur, the dinosaur and the mermaid, made in bronze as well as balata, a natural rubber from Brazil.
At Kunsthal Charlottenborg, these beings will be accompanied by a large collection of the artist’s miniature sculptures and a group of eccentric figures dressed in colourful clothes. As an ensemble Upritchard’s works escape established norms and create a kaleidoscopic narrative, which offers the opportunity to contemplate different facets of the human condition.
Henriette Bretton-Meyer, curator of the exhibition:
“We’re excited to be able to present the work of Francis Upritchard on this extensive scale. Her multifarious references, her distinctive use of materials, her sense of humour and her dexterous skills make her a sculptor in a league of her own."
"This exhibition is truly site-specific: a new, tall dinosaur sculpture relates directly to the scale and dimensions of the galleries, mermaids large and small appear as distant relatives to Copenhagen’s most famous public sculpture and there’s even a nod to the iconic works of Swiss artist Giacometti which can be encountered around Denmark.”
Throughout her career, Upritchard has gained international recognition for her striking and original visual language. She has participated in a large number of exhibitions around the world and has represented her home country at the Venice Biennale, collaborated with renowned British fashion duo Peter Pilotto, and in 2022 she created an epic, permanent outdoor sculptural work for the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.
Any Noise Annoys an Oyster is curated by Henriette Bretton-Meyer.
The exhibition is supported by the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen’s Foundation, the Augustinus Foundation, the Danish Art Foundation, the Knud Højgaard’s Foundation, the Obel Family Foundation, the William Demant Foundation.
About the artist
Francis Upritchard was born in 1976 in New Plymouth, New Zealand and lives and works in London and New Zealand. Her works have been featured in solo exhibitions at institutions such as Kunsthaus Pasquart in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland (2022), Barbican Centre in London, UK (2022), Christchurch Art Gallery in New Zealand (2022), Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens in Belgium (2020), The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, USA (2014), Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art in Kagawa, Japan (2013), and Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center in Ohio, USA (2012). Francis Upritchard represented New Zealand in the 53rd Venice Biennale (2009) and participated in the 57th Venice Biennale (2017). Recent group exhibitions include DAUWRAUW: A Bruegelian Landscape, Bornem Castle, Bornem, Belgium (2024), the Guangzhou Triennial, Guangdong Museum of Art in Guangzhou, China (2023), The Inner Island, Villa Carmignac at Porquerolles Island, France (2023), Human Conditions of Clay, John Hansard Gallery in Southampton, UK (2022). Selected public collections include Tate Collection, UK; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, USA; Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, Aotearoa / New Zealand; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia.
Practical information
Francis Upritchard: Any Noise Annoys an Oyster
28 September 2024 – 16 February 2025
Press preview: 26 September, 11.00
Exhibition opening: 27 September, 17.00-21.00
Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Kongens Nytorv 1, 1050 Copenhagen K
Further info here
Public program
27 Sep: Season opening
17.00-21.00 Opening of the exhibitions Poetics of Encryption and Any Noise Annoys An Oyster by Francis Upritchard
1 Oct: Tour
10.00-13.00 Art with your baby incl. guided tour in the exhibition
9 Oct: Tour
17.00-18.00 Curator tour in the exhibition by Henriette Bretton-Meyer
11 Oct: Culture Night
18.00-24.00 The exhibitions are open
18.00-22.00 Create your own fantasy sculpture inspired by Any Noise Annoys An Oyster
16 Oct: Autumn break at Kunsthal Charlottenborg
17.00-18.00 Family tour in the exhibition
17.00-19.00 Create your own fantasy sculpture inspired by Any Noise Annoys An Oyster
3 Dec: Tour
10.00-13.00 Art with your baby incl. guided tour in the exhibition
For more information about the exhibition, please contact:
Henriette Bretton-Meyer
Curator, Kunsthal Charlottenborg
hbm@kunsthalcharlottenborg.dk/ (+45) 3374 4680
Press contact
Jeannie Møller Haltrup
Head of Communications, Kunsthal Charlottenborg
jmh@kunsthalcharlottenborg.dk/ (+45) 3374 4629
Categories
Kunsthal Charlottenborg is one of the largest and most beautiful exhibition spaces for contemporary art in Northern Europe. The exhibition space presents an ambitious program with international outlook featuring talents as well as established stars from both Denmark and abroad. The exhibition program is supplemented with a large number of activities like artist talks, performances, concerts and film screenings.
