 Marie Holsted, 2003 Pernille Koldbech Fich Sisters / Introducing Viola "Whether they are looking at us or off to the side of the world where they exist, the subjects of Pernille Koldbech Fich's photographs burn through the atmosphere with psychological intensity and poetic longing." (Eyemazing, August 2007) Photofusion is delighted to introduce Danish artist Pernille Koldbech Fich to audiences in the UK with a debut solo show that includes her series "Sisters" and "Introducing Viola". The women represented in "Sisters" are "diakonisser", which means church ordained nurses of the Danish diakonisse movement, founded in 1863 to help the poor and sick. Their tasks, which are medical, social and religious, are beyond those of a mere job. A diakonisse dedicates her life to the foundation and its work, rejecting many aspects of a "normal" life for the cause of helping people in need. However, Koldbech Fich takes the focus away from their "acts of goodness", which is typically how they are described and contextualised, and instead creates a series of theatrical portraits staged within the sisters' domestic interiors that reveal more of their individual character than the role and the uniform they share. A little girl, Viola, dressed for a party, is central to the photographic series "Introducing Viola", strikingly shot in dark interiors. The evening before the actual photo-shoot, Koldbech Fich invites a group of mutual strangers to enter into artificial relationships that span age, status, looks and gender. This odd gathering is recreated in the same location the following day where the subjects each settle into the psychological picture she has mapped out in the brief time she's spent with them the previous evening. Koldbech Fich likens "Introducing Viola" to a family story or a portrait of a generation: the subjects are all related, although the sense of isolation within the pictures creates an ambiguity around this. They could represent a mental or shared memory within the larger idea of the family - for example, the children could be a memory the adults have of their own childhood. The allure of these photographs however lies in the sheer magnetism of the figures and the part the viewer plays in trying to unfold their story. Pernille Koldbech Fich (born 1971) lives and works in Denmark. Her photographs have been included in exhibitions at Museet for Fotokunst, Galleri Image, Charlottenborg Exhibition Hall and Peter Lav Photo Gallery in Denmark. This is her first UK exhibition. Exhibition: 5 October - 10 November 2007 Opening hours: Tues-Sat 10am - 6pm; Thursday evening by appointment Photofusion 17a Electric Lane UK-London SW9 8LA Telephone +44 020 7738 5774 Fax +44 020 7738 5509 Email info@photofusion.org www.photofusion.org |
 |