Galerie Mikael Andersen is proud to present the exhibition Chambre Ornementale with works by Danish artist Karin Lorentzen and Brazilian artist Luzia Simons. Welcome to the opening Friday 3^rd October 2014, 5pm-7pm.

Karin Lorentzen and Luzia Simons have based the exhibition Chambre Ornementale on their common interest in nature and its ornamental potential. In their exploration of nature, both artists take a scientific approach. Lorentzen examines the structure of plants and its systems: for example, a plant’s construction of Fibonacci numbers in spiral patterns and the golden ratio is used as the starting point for her work’s sculptural forms. Simons too finds inspiration in the structures and symbolism of flowers. Her scientific approach is particularly evident in a trip to the Amazon, where the artist studied plants and wildlife in depth, resulting, among other things, in a series of subtle, ethereal photographs shown in this exhibition.

The scientific element is evident in the final aesthetic outcome for both artists but the result is most often dominated by the sensuality and tactility of the works. The use of nature in an ornamental context relates to a long art historical tradition; both artists' work can therefore also be understood through history’s cultural codes and its symbolic use of nature.

Luzia Simons (b. 1953, Brazil) is a graduate in History and Fine Art at Sorbonne University in Paris. She has lived and worked in Germany since 1986. Simons is represented in numerous collections in both Europe and South America, among these: Graphische Sammlung der Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Fotosammlung Pirelli at Museu de Arte Moderna in Sao Paulo, Centro Wifredo Lam in Havanna, Fonds National d´Art Contemporain in Paris and Brandts. Her recent solo exhibitions in 2014 was Segmentos at Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil and Amazonas Path at Alexander Ochs Gallery in Berlin.

Karin Lorentzen (b. 1968) graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2002. She is a member of Akademiraadet’s Committee on Church Art and Artists' Society and is co-founder of Skulpturi.dk and Platform 7.  Furthermore, Lorenzen has received numerous awards from the Danish Arts Foundation as well as their three-year work grant. She has exhibited at Brandts, KØS, Aarhus Art Building and Den Frie. Chambre Ornementale is Karin Lorentzen's first major exhibition at Galerie Mikael Andersen.

Photo credits: Jan Søndergaard