Ditte Knus Tønnesen, You Are the Air in My Flute (Installation view). KH7Artspace – Smallspace, 2023. Photo: Ditte Knus Tønnesen.

Press release, May 2023

The exhibition title, You Are the Air in My Flute, refers to the relationship monologue that Knus Tønnesen often combines in her titles. Together with the exhibition's works, the title points to how essential an element air is – for the flute to play and the bread to rise. The exhibition should be seen as a concert of a larger work inspired by how yeast has shaped our civilization – through alcohol, bread, and medicine. As well as the consumption questions one must ask oneself in the middle of a time of crisis, which shows how food culture is also bound together with civilisations.

The exhibition shows works created with a laser engraving technique that Knus Tønnesen has developed. It makes the works vibrate like hybrids between photography and painting. A technique where the photograph is burned into the paint on the canvas, which refers to the analogue work with the enlarger in the darkroom. In the technique, Knus Tønnesen makes use of adding a type of abstraction or release to the photograph, to challenge the viewer's instinctive desire to know who, what and where in the reality of the photograph. The goal is to create a greater sensory experience of the photographic work.

Ditte Knus Tønnesen, Baguette Magique, I see your Mountain Kingdom (2023). Photo: Ditte Knus Tønnesen.

Ditte Knus Tønnesen, Yeast Pyramid, You Empowered me to Raise (2023). Photo: Ditte Knus Tønnesen.

Ditte Knus Tønnesen, You Are the Air in My Flute (Installation view). KH7Artspace – Smallspace, 2023. Photo: Ditte Knus Tønnesen.

Ditte Knus Tønnesen, Life Cycle, Yeasts of the Wild (2020). Photo: Ditte Knus Tønnesen.

Ditte Knus Tønnesen, Life Cycle, Yeasts of the Wild (2020). Photo: Ditte Knus Tønnesen.

Ditte Knus Tønnesen, Wheat Smiles, 685 million tons a year (2023). Photo: Ditte Knus Tønnesen.

Ditte Knus Tønnesen, You Are the Air in My Flute (2023). Photo: Ditte Knus Tønnesen.

Ditte Knus Tønnesen, Embrace, Feel the Breeding Structure (2023). Photo: Ditte Knus Tønnesen.

Ditte Knus Tønnesen, Whispering Bread, Moon Child Baby (2023). Photo: Ditte Knus Tønnesen.

Ditte Knus Tønnesen was born in 1982 and raised in an artists' home downtown Aarhus. Today she lives and works as a visual artist and curator based in Copenhagen. Knus Tønnesen graduated as a visual artist from The Glasgow School of Art, Scotland and Kyoto Seika University, Japan. As well as having an MA in Curatorial Practice, from The Art Academy – Department of Contemporary Art, Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design, University of Bergen (NO). Her multidisciplinary practice combines the properties of materials with current issues and poetic observations. Knus Tønnesen has exhibited numerous times and most recently at Goyki 3 Art Incubator part of FFWRS - Festiwal Fotografi W Ramach Sopotu in Poland (2022), Galleri Format in Malmö (2021), Gammelgaard in Herlev (2020), Open Source Gallery in New York (2021), The Photo Gallery in Oslo (2017), J.F. Willumsens Museum (2016), as well as Gether Contemporary (solo, 2015), Fotografisk Center (DK) (Young Danish Photography 2013, Inner and outer landscapes 2014), Neter Proyectos in Mexico City (2014), represented Denmark at the Jeune Création Européenne Biennale (2015- 17). In addition, she is also project manager for the art program at Heartland festival.

Opening: Thursday the 4th of May, 16-18.
Exhibition period: May 4-27, 2023.
Opening hours: Thursday-saturday: 14-17.
More info: www.kh7artspace.dk

The exhibition is supported by the Danish Arts Foundation and Aarhus municipality.