(Houston, TX) - The Art Car Museum presents "The Rørpost Collaboration Project." This international artistic collaboration serves as a pipeline for the flow of creative energy, the development of international friendships, and the celebration of the freedom of expression. The Danish word "Rørpost" refers to a pneumatic tube. It is a metaphor for sending the paper exchange and art ideas across the Atlantic. The verb "Røre" means "to touch" when translated to English.
2 COUNTRIES - 4 EXHIBITIONS - 42 ARTISTS - 84 WORKS OF ART
Twenty-one artists from Houston, Texas were paired with 21 artists from Esbjerg, Denmark by matching artists' names drawn from a hat - a Viking helmet in Denmark and a Cowboy hat in Texas. This was our first of many Skype meetings. All 42 artists began a work on paper. These pieces were completed by the artist's partner. Each of the 42 artists also created an individual work in response to the collaboration experience. The response pieces are of any medium, any size, any style.
It is an artistic and emotional risk for an artist to have their work completed by another artist.
Birgit Juhl thought Jennifer Madeley Dunn's painting looked finished, "...so I didn't know what to do with it. But one day, I started with a lot of energy, and...realized that I had completely covered Jennifer's picture. So I had to try to remove a lot of my own paint. It was not easy and I was afraid I would destroy the paper." Sculptors and photographers were also challenged to complete paintings.
While none of the artists knew one another, many pairs developed relationships through the frequent exchanges of emails. Niels Kongsbak stated that, "Kay [Sarver] and I wanted to make a picture that illustrated the refugee-situation in Europe and immigration to Texas. We talked about walls - the wall in China, the wall in Berlin, the wall in Hungary, walls in Israel and the wall between US and Mexico. Ronald Reagan said 'Tear down this wall' and John F. Kennedy said 'Ich bin ein Berliner'. They were both talking against walls."
Lotte Lambæk said, "Karine [Parker-Lemoyne] mentioned Gandhi - 'Let's be the change.' I wrote her an old slogan from Phillips - 'Let's make things Better'. These words became the basis for our work together."
Several of the Houston artists traveled to Esbjerg for the opening in Denmark. A number of the Danish artists are visiting Houston to experience the Art Car Museum opening.
The Honorable Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston and Debbie McNulty of the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs along with Consul Anna Thomsen Holliday of Houston will be present at the Opening Reception to recognize the unique nature of this international collaboration.
THE ARTIST PARTNERS:
Becky Soria + Marianne Skjølstrup; Damon Thomas + Johny Wilslew; Carol McKee + Alf Pedersen; Kay Kemp + Tina Asmussen; Donna E. Perkins + Astrid Hygum; Lisa Marie Hunter + Connie Borgen + Kamila Szczesna; Nicola Parente + Lars Henning Andersen; Tami Merrick + Flemming Rendbo;
Brenda Bunten Schloesser + Jette Dümke; Jan Jbeili + Jytte Jespersen; Renata Lucia + Erik Brøndberg; Raymond Saucillo + Per Lenholdt; Andis Applewhite + Lene Hassig Vilslev; Jennifer Madeley Dunn + Birgit Juhl; Kay Sarver + Niels Kongsbak; Joe Aker + Gustav Iwinski; Barbara Tennant +
Rich. Dethlefsen; Karine Parker Lemoyne + Lotte Lambæk; John Bernhard + Gitte Hadrup; Tracey Meyer + Sue Reeves; Trudy Askew + Søren Morns
The project currently consists of four exhibitions: two in Esbjerg and two in Houston.
*ESBJERG, DENMARK EXHIBITIONS: City Hall, Esbjerg, Denmark, 04/2016 and Arier Gammeltorv at UCSyd, Esbjerg, 05/2016
*HOUSTON, TEXAS EXHIBITIONS: Art Car Museum, 09/10/2016 and Houston's City Hall, 01/ 2017
For more information on the Rørpost Collaboration Project, visit
http://www.artcollaboration.org/.
Rørpost Houston was made possible in part through the Houston City Hall's City Initiative Grant, Houston Arts Alliance, Royal Danish Embassy, Consul Anna Thomsen Holliday of Houston, Art Car Museum, Fiscal sponsor Fresh Arts, Art Chatter, Blå Døre, Art Friends, Blue Water Shipping, Savage Henry Films, ArtHouston Magazine, Aker Imaging, LOCAL Houston Magazine, Boheme Café Cultured Cocktails, Vikingeskolen - Danish Saturday School of Houston, Danish American Chamber of Commerce Southwest, and Danish Club of Houston.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Danish Artist Talk Sunday, September 11, 2016, 1:00 pm
Student Art Project - TBA
Reading of poetry inspired by Rørpost Collaboration Project - TBA
Additional Media Contact:
Alicia Duplan at the Art Car Museum
713-861-5526
John Bernhard
713-854-3758
[email protected]
