To be, to remain, to become, to have, to lose – these verbs in their infinitive form, resume an essential part of human existence. By adding to love (beloved, loved ones) the list becomes complete. Simple in appearance, these words constitute the titles and integrated elements of recent works by Elle-Mie Ejdrup Hansen; an attempt at situating herself and situating what we would call ‘life’, ‘being alive’ or quite simply ‘being’.

Loyal to herself, the artist delivers an account anchored in personal history, yet which goes beyond the specific and the personal to become universal.
The iconography presents seemingly banal, touching subjects (young girl in a ball gown, solitary deer, vase with tulips and sunrise). By choosing falsely ‘naïve’ motifs the artist wishes to tell both a story of life, in all its marvelous banality and to use these motifs as signs – complex concentrations of meaning.

This desire to express the equivocal is characteristic of Elle-Mie Ejdrup Hansen and often demonstrated through the physical form of her works (diptychs, triptychs where different meanings are confronted). Through variations on simple images, the works comprising the exhibition “being” establish multiple significances. Emblematic examples of this are the two paintings “being I” and “being II” where a solitary naked female silhouette figures on a background of zig-zagging lines: cardiogram to infinity? digital sound image? vision of broadcast disruptions on a TV screen? or, quite simply, a way of signifying the permanent movements of life ? In “being I”, a vertical painting, the background is dominated by bright yellow and multicolour strokes, yet the female silhouette in the lower part of the painting seems lost, tense; her head turned towards the spectator she appears to be wondering what is happening to her despite the joyful ambiance of the environing colours. “being II” is a large horizontal painting, the background is composed of variations of white crossed over by black zig-zag movements. Centrally placed, we reencounter the female figure with her feet well set, arms placed at the side of her body and her head slightly inclined backwards, her face looks upwards. The figure appears calm and available – ready to receive, to give, to act as if the white surrounding her signified a great light, a catharsis or perhaps a new beginning.
If the constituting elements of these two paintings are the same, the differences of format, colour and body attitude suffice to express two differing accounts of the human, in life and faced with life, key subject in the artist’s work.

The Danish verb “at blive” literally means in turn to be, to remain and to become and sometimes all three – it implies a prolonging existing state but also the passage to another state. Contradictory and complementary, as whom remains could change. Under this title, the artist attempts to express the transitory aspect of life in very graphical compositions or on the contrary sensual and soft, suggesting goings and comings, temporal dimensions or changing atmospheres of a same landscape. Words play an important role: inscribed into some works in capital letters, they act through their established meanings as words, through their sonority yet also for their powerful visual form. For a long time focused on other media (painting, video, installation) this series of drawings represents a turning point in Elle-Mie Ejdrup Hansen’s oeuvre. The form – pencil and oil pastel on paper – is classical. The mix - tactile quality and the use of the line - between dust and shapes coming to life, is present throughout her entire work.

Elle-Mie Ejdrup Hansen (1958-….) has been represented by the GALERIE MARIA LUND since 1999 where she has presented four solo shows: TERRE ET LUMIERE (2000), IMAGES BLEU CLAIR (2002), painting & sculpture (2004), paintings (2007) and the series INTERCESSION (2005). In 2003, Espace Croix-Baragnon (Toulouse) exhibited a selection of works. Over the last 15 years, the artist regularly shows in galleries and institutions in Scandinavia where she received the nordic prize Anna Nordlander. Her monumental laser light installation, stretching over 530 km, The line- the light, Sculpture for Peace 1995, was featured in a few films directed by Rikke Rørbech and presented at the 6th Biennale de films sur l’art at the Pompidou Centre and the Danish House, Paris (2005). This spring she created the project From evening to morning (Fra aften til morgen) – a light and sound installation around a group of wind turbines in western Denmark: a poetic vision of an encounter between a place, its nature and the energy centers now punctuating the landscape. In March 2001 Artpress published an article about her work.

• From 5.09.2009 Elle-Mie Ejdrup Hansen’s works will be visible at: www.marialund.com
  
• PUBLISHING: of an invitation carton with a selection of reproductions and a text by the artist Poul Pedersen
  
• OPENING: Thursday 10th September 2009 from 6pm – 9pm, the artist will be present.
• The exhibition ends Saturday 17th October 2009.
  

For further information about the  availability of visuals, please contact :

GALERIE MARIA LUND     48 rue de Turenne     75003 Paris     Tuesday-Saturday 12-7 pm    
ph : (33) 01 42 76 00 33    cellphone : (33) 06 61 15 99 91    fax :(33) 01 42 76 00 10