Yngvild Saeter - Requiem: Stockholm

3 October - 10 November 2024
Overview
Yngvild Saeter - Requiem, Stockholm
Andréhn-Schiptjenko is pleased to present Requiem, Yngvild Saeter’s third solo exhibition at the gallery, opening on Thursday October 3rd, from 17:00 to 20:00 in the presence of the artist.
 
Requiem presents a deeply intimate yet universal exploration on death and grief. Saeter reflects on loss, moving beyond her own death and resuscitation following a failed brain surgery in 2017, to focus on the passing of a beloved companion.
 
During her recovery from brain surgery, Saeter found solace in her dog, Oda, whose unwavering presence provided comfort when communication with others was impossible. After Oda’s passing, Saeter realised that Oda had been the protective force she had been striving to recreate in her previous works. In Requiem, Saeter creates new sculptures, this time as an ode to Oda, sculpting armours for the companion who stood by her side. Through these works, Saeter explores how we process and experience grief — physically, intellectually and emotionally — underscoring the universal themes of loss. Her work navigates the interplay between mortality and the enduring presence of those we have lost, while also reflecting on the resilience and transformation that grief can bring. Ultimately, her work serves as a poignant reminder that grief, though painful, is the cost of love.
 
Requiem transforms the gallery into a dimly lit, contemplative space inspired by the atmosphere of ancient cathedrals and funeral masses. Drawing on the tradition of the Roman Catholic Requiem, Saeter’s sculpted objects evoke artifacts that might be found in the Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic, with its artistically arranged skeletons, or Emanuel Vigeland’s museum in Oslo, where groups of bronze figures conjure themes of death and spirituality.
 
In contrast to her previous works, which used pre-existing motorcycle parts and materials like metal rivets, chains and fur, the pieces in Requiem are wholly sculpted by the artist herself. Saeter works in experimental techniques such as cold-cast bronze and marble, where bronze and marble powders are combined with epoxy, then sanded and patinated with acids. Despite this shift in material and technique, Saeter continues to employ mirrored, symmetrical shapes — reminiscent of altars, angels and bird wings — that create visually arresting hybrids with a timeless, universal quality. These archetypal forms are found in various civilisations across history, from ancient Egyptian and Greek art to indigenous symbols, and evoke a sense of connection to the collective human experience, suggesting a shared visual language that speaks to the core of our existence.
 
Yngvild Saeter (b. 1986, Norway) graduated from Valand Academy in Gothenburg in 2014 and has also studied anthropology and political science at the University of Oslo. Her work has been featured in solo exhibitions at Norwegian Sculptor's Society, Oslo; Gether Contemporary, Copenhagen; Møre og Romsdal Kunstsenter, Molde, Norway, and more. She has also participated in group exhibitions at Kunsthall Trondheim; Göteborgs Konsthall, Gothenburg; Institut Suédois, Paris; MISSCHIEFS, Stockholm; Orange Garden x Postmasters Gallery, Rome, among others.
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