HENRIK OLESEN

Not one distinctive European democracy offer gay and lesbian citizens the equal legal rights as heterosexuals. On a global view approximately 40 countries criminalize same-sex relationships, whether between men or women. In a further approximately 40 countries, same-sex sexual relationships between men only also remain illegal. In at least 7 countries the maximum penalty is death.
A central subject in my work has been to investigate the representation of minorities within achievement of history, and within law and social/political structures: how does legislation/ criminalization characterize certain social groups and what are the consequences of the heterosexual (regulated) structures?
To recognize the boundaries of (legal) identity, I suppose we have to understand the effects of living inside capitalism/ production. In the publication “Anthologie de l’amour sublime” I have searched the origin to the criminalization of homosexuality in the birth of democracy (the image of the consuming reproductive family as the sublime body for breeding unlimited capitalism).

 

CV - HENRIK OLESEN

Henrik Olesen, born 1967. Lives and works in Berlin, Germany
1989 - 1996 The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark
1995 - 1997 Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Städelschule, Frankfurt, Germany

Solo exhibitions (selected):

2004
Secession, Vienna, Austria (cat.)

2003
„1935 1922“, Sprengel Museum Hannover, Germany (cat.)
Kunstverein Salzburg, Austria
“Hosni Mubarak, Aaron McKinney, Richmond, Belgrad”, Städtisches Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach, Germany
“6 oder 7 neue Arbeiten“, Klosterfelde, Berlin, Germany

2002
Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Köln, Germany
”There are two temperatures: one outside, one inside”, Kirsten Pieroth / Henrik Olesen (collaboration), Galleria Franco Noero, Torino, Italy

2001
Studiogalerie, Kunstverein Braunschweig, Germany

2000
Anton Kern Gallery, New York, NY, USA
Klosterfelde, Berlin, Germany

1997
Henrik Olesen / Sean Snyder (collaboration), Galleri Campbells Occasionally, Kopenhagen Denmark

Group exhibitions (selected):

2003
“World Watchers”, Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst, Berlin, Germany (cat.)
“Influence, Anxiety, and Gratitude (Toward an Understanding of Trans-generational Dialogue as a Gift Economy)”, MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, USA
“GNS. Global Navigation System”, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France (cat.)
“Utopia Station” (collaboration with Kirsten Pieroth), 50th Venice Biennial, Italy (cat.)

2002
“Rent-a-bench”, Street Project, Los Angeles, USA (cat.)
”Zusammenhänge herstellen”, Kunstverein Hamburg, Germany (cat.)
”Ökonomien der Zeit”, Museum Ludwig, Köln / Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany / Migros Museum, Zürich, Switzerland (cat.)
”The collective unconsciousness”, Migros Museum, Zürich
”Centre of Attraction, 8th Baltic Triennial of International Art”, Contemporary Art Center, Vilnius, Litauen

2001
”Pedigree Pal – Neudefinition von Familie”, Shedhalle, Zürich, Switzerland (cat.)
”Arbeit, Essen, Angst”, Kokerei Zollverein, Essen, Germany (cat.)
”Trans Sexual Express Barcelona”, 1st Barcelona Triennial, Centre d’Art Santa Mònica, Barcelona, Spain (cat.)
”Neue Welt”, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt/M., Germany (cat.)
”Inside Space / Experiments in redefining Rooms”, MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, MA , USA (cat.)

2000
”All you can eat”, Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Leipzig, Germany (cat.)
”No swimming”, Kunstverein München, Germany (cat.)
”[re:songlines]”, halle_für_Kunst e.V., Lüneburg, Germany (cat.)

1999
”The work in this space is a response to the existing condition and/or work previously shown within the space”, neugerriemschneider, Berlin, Germany
”Dispensing with Formalities”, Recent works / Jacob Fabricius, Denmark

1997
”speisen / der umbaumraum”, Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, Germany

Selected bibliography:

2003
exh.cat. “Zusammenhänge herstellen”, Kunstverein in Hamburg, ed. Yilmaz Dziewior, text: Astrid Wege, Collapse of Information, pp. 56-62.
exh.cat. “GNS. Global Navigation System”, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, pp.168-173
Neue Review, Ausgabe 2, Juli, “Henrik Olesen”, by John Miller and Aura Rosenberg,
p.28 – 29

2002
exh.cat. “Strike”, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, ed. Liam Gillick and Gavin Wade, p.57.
exh.cat. ”Ökonomien der Zeit”, Museum Ludwig, Köln / Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany, ed. Astrid Wege, Hans Christian Dany, text: Sabeth Buchmann, ”Im Außen der Ingroup Struktur”, pp. Mär 20 – Apr 1/ Henrik Olesen, “Lack of Information”, pp. Sep 29 – Okt 6.
”Henrik Olesen: What is Authority?”, Pork Salad Press, Kopenhagen, DK., Texte von / Texts by Frederikke Hansen, Sabeth Buchmann, Bill Arning.
Texte zur Kunst, Heft 46, ”Anomal lange Finger / Henrik Olesen in der Galerie Buchholz”, Brigitte Weingart, pp. 178-183.
Flash Art, May/June, ”Possible Works. Henrik Olesen and Kirsten Pieroth”, Jacob Fabricius, pp. 98/99.

2001
exh. cat. ”Sex – Vom Wissen und Wünschen”, Deutsches Hygiene Museum, Dresden
exh. cat. [re:songlines], halle_für_kunst Lüneburg e.V., ed.: Bernd Milla, Heike Munder
exh, cat. Arbeit Essen Angst, Kokerei Zollverein, Ed.: Marius Babias and Florian Waldvogel, ”Alltag, Ausgrenzung”, F. Waldvogel
exh. cat. ”Trans Sexual Express”, Centre d’Art Santa Mónica, Barcelona, pp. 142-147, 176
exh.cat. ”Henrik Olesen”, Studiogalerie Kunstverein Braunschweig, Text von / Text by Sabeth Buchmann
exh. cat. ”Inside Space. Experiments in redefining rooms”, MIT List visual Arts Center, Bill Arning, Joel Sanders

2000
New York Times, Dec. 22, ”Marcel Odenbach and Henrik Olesen”, Holland Cotter
nu: The nordic art review, Vol.II, No. 3, ”A twist in his sobriety”, Frederikke Hansen, pp. 60-65