Carolina Echeverri, Di Mi Nombre, 2021. Press image.

Press release, February 2024

Bricks Gallery is pleased to present ECHOOO, a group exhibition featuring works by Carolina Echeverri, Emilie Imán, Inka Bell, Louise Foo, Martha Skou, Matilde Duus, Pauline Fransson, and Signe Høi.

“Only her voice and her bones remain: then, only voice; for they say that her bones were turned to stone. She hides in woods and is seen no more upon the mountain-sides; but all may hear her, for voice, and voice alone, still lives in her.” 1 - Ovid

Thus concludes the myth of Echo, the nymph from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In the exhibition ECHOOO, the voices of eight artists resonate throughout the gallery, echoing just like in Ovid’s tale. Cursed to only echo the words of others, Echo finds herself deeply enamored with Narcissus, the beautiful youth who falls in love with his own reflection. Despite her rejection by Narcissus, Echo’s voice persists, echoing through time, even as her form fades away.

Conceptually and visually, the exhibition amplifies the voices and perspectives of each artist as their works engage in a collective dialogue. Serving as a symbol of the resilience of voice, Echo’s tale embodies the potential for our voices to forge connections and guide us through the unknown, much like the echo that reverberates through vast landscapes. Upon entering the exhibition, visitors encounter a variety of artworks spanning diverse mediums and visual expressions. Each piece tells its own tale yet remains closely connected with the others.

Positioned somewhere between abstraction and representation, Carolina Echeverri’s photograph Di Mi Nombre (2021) initially evokes the image of a delicate white flower gently floating on water. However, closer inspection reveals the figure of a swan, echoing the soft silhouette and motion also found in Signe Høi’s oil paintings. Central to Høi’s work are mythological creatures embarking on individual yet collective journeys, connecting shared, transformative tales with present experiences. Emilie Imán’s saturated oil paintings, dominated by red tones, depict neurological and neurodiverse conditions that resonate with both inner and outer transitions of humanity. In the same vein, Pauline Fransson’s egg- tempera paintings navigate between outer and inner spaces, as well as abstraction and representation.

In contrast to the more figurative works, which in some way depict shared imaginary spaces, we also encounter abstractions that highlight our physical experiences. Mathilde Duus’ glass works encourage viewers to engage with the artwork’s spatiality, maintaining a connection with their surroundings. Meanwhile, Inka Bell’s minimalistic yet compelling paper works confront the viewer’s body and gaze, drawing them closer to examine their form and presence.

Created through a process of (de)-coloring, washing, and burning, the delicate yet resilient nature of Martha Skou’s fabric pieces, Pulse (2023) and Parallel (2023), also prompt us to place ourselves in a shared space, reminiscent of Louise Foo’s atmospheric silk works titled Silk Hologram (2024), featuring deep ocean blue tones.

Navigating through the exhibition space, viewers become part of an ongoing dialogue of transitions and shared experiences. Whether they are imaginary, situational, or physical, these experiences bridge past, present, and future perspectives. Just as the voice of the nymph Echo carries traces of an individual sound, persisting through time, the artworks themselves embody the voices of the artists, inviting viewers to echo their own reflections and contribute to the collective conversation.

– Text by Amanda Dam.

Carolina Echeverri (b. 1980, Columbia) lives and works in Copenhagen, DK.
Emilie Iman (b. 1992, Denmark) lives and works in Copenhagen, DK.
Inka Bell (b. 1981, Finland) lives and works in Helsinki, FI.
Louise Foo (b. 1982, Denmark) lives and works in Copenhagen, DK.
Martha Skou (b. 1982, Denmark) lives and works in Copenhagen, DK
Matilde Duus (b. 1983, Denmark) lives and works in Moss, NO.
Pauline Fransson (b. 1990, Sweden) lives and works in Nybro, SE.
Signe Høi (b. 1996, Denmark) lives and works in Copenhagen, DK .

Opening: Friday the 8th of March, 5-8 PM.
Exhibition period: March 8 – April 6, 2024.
More info: Bricksgallery.dk

[1] Ovid. Metamorphoses. Volume II. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1984. p. 153.