Techne

15 Feb-18 Mar 2023

PV 15 Feb 2023, 6-8pm

Overview

Fold is pleased to present Techné a two person show by London based Swedish artist Erika Trotzig and Danish artist Torgny Wilcke.

In philosophy, techné is a term that refers to making or doing, which in turn is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "Teks-" meaning "to weave," also "to fabricate". As an activity, technē is concrete, variable, and context- dependent. Techné can often mean knowing how to do something in a craft-like way or having "the knowledge of the craftsman."

Erika Trotzig makes precarious structures, using temporary and unstable construction methods such as gaffer tape, bandaging or by weaving pieces of wood together with yarn or string. Mirroring aspects of architecture, her work questions the process of remembering, both individual and collective. The work often operates as space-dividers, obstructions and fragments that allude to ruins. Her objects are humorous, un-heroic, un-monumental and absurd, teetering on collapse, they often have anthropomorphic qualities, occupying a space between the human and the architectural, presenting tragicomic impressions in their absurd struggle to hold themselves together.

Although Torgny Wilcke’s paintings that are not hung directly on the wall, they relate to classical painting and its’ relationship with the wall. The paintings lean against the wall, keeping the wall a central part of the work. Textile is mounted in long open frames that resemble boxes or vitrines without glass. The raw finish of the boxes, the textile, the placing gives it a physicality and a sense of usefulness, inviting the spectator to question whether they resemble something domestic, perhaps a window, a bed or something from the living room. Wilcke also asks the viewer to query the execution; if the painted surface is spread-out or built-up, whether it is applied with brushstrokes or spray-paint. The paintings are serial in nature and appear to have a certain amount of uniformity, with an equality of form and colour that relate to monochromes and minimalist aesthetics.

Both artists in this exhibition are fascinated with material and form, often using craft-based techniques and aesthetics, they invite us to question the hierarchy of material, the traditions of painting and sculpture and how we as viewers interact with objects and the space they inhabit.

Artists