Short Artist Statement

The artist duo J&K (Janne Schäfer, b. 1976, Darmstadt, DE and Kristine Agergaard / kkart, b. 1975, Copenhagen, DK) have been working in collaboration since 1999 and are based in Berlin, Copenhagen and on the island Møn.

J&K’s artistic practice is fundamentally performative and engages various ways of relating performance to other media such as photography, installation, collage, sculpture, found objects and text. Kaleidoscopic reference systems, constructed narratives and altered mythologies build the backbone, whereas collage can be understood as a basic principle for how the works come into existence. Using a double-bind of playfulness and sincerity the work investigates mechanisms behind the cultural production of values, believes and identities. The notion of civilisation is questioned while liminal realms of human and non-human becoming are scrutinised and transitional states of existence explored.

During 2018 and 2019 J&K are long term residents at the Inter Arts Centre, Malmø, to develop a large performance work which will premiere at Inkonst, Malmø, in early 2020. Recent larger completed projects include the public art work Forende Fasaner, a 20m high mural on Hillerødgade 38, Frederiksberg/Copenhagen, commissioned by Somewhere, as well as the art-in-architecture work Glory to the Unknown permanently installed at the Goethe Institute in Cairo/Egypt, commissioned by the German Federal Building Office.

J&K have shown major solo presentations at SPACE projects in London, The National Gallery of Denmark, KUNSTEN – Aalborg Museum of Art, The Pergamon Museum Berlin, The Aarhus Art Building, Overgaden – Institute for Contemporary Art Copenhagen and others. They have participated in large international group shows such as the 1rst Karachi Biennial, Copenhagen Art Festival, Ars Baltica Triennial of Photographic Art and The Liverpool Biennial, and have shown widely at internationally institutions such as Mathaf Doha, Institut de Monde Arab Paris, IVAM Valenica, Museum for Egyptian Art Munich, NGBK+Kunstraum Kreuzberg Berlin, KUMU Tallinn, Pori Art Museum, Casino Luxembourg, Galerie im Körnerpark Berlin, Teatr Studio Warsaw, and many more.

Download artist bio – updated Jan 2019

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Selected Exhibitions and Projects

Solo Exhibitions and Selected Performances

* indicates catalogue or publication

2020 (upcoming)

We (working title), Inkonst, Mamø, SE

2018

We, du.al, Svendborg, DK
The space consists of a circle that travels in time, SPACE, London, GB
Forenede Fasaner, public mural, Frederiksberg, DK, 2018

2017

Soul Retrieval, solo show, Ringsted Galleriet, Ringsted, DK *
The Emancipation of O.O.O., performance, Overgaden – Institut for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK

2016

Huck, Tuck, Fold, Pack, installation and performance with C.Borch, I.Lewandowski, M.Steckbauer, Galerie im Turm / Kunstraum Kreuzberg, Berlin, DE
Forenede Fasaner – parade for Nordre Fasanvej, performance and community project, public space, Somewhere – Detours, Copenhagen, DK
Sleeping, Dreaming, Dying, performance ritual in collaboration with M.Steckbauer, I.Lewandowski, C. Borch, Drømmesalen, Møn, DK

2015

Sleeping, Dreaming, Dying, performance ritual in collaboration with M.Steckbauer, I.Lewandowski, C. Borch, private house Bestensee, DE
Museum of O.O.O., solo show, KUNSTEN, Museum of Modern Art Aalborg, Denmark*

2014

Dark Ice, performances and text series, Greenland Eyes International Film Festival, Nuuk, GL and the Nordic countries*
Calling for Water, Calling for Nettles, Calling for Gold, Calling for Dreams, performance, Tørring Gymnasium in connection with acquisition of the work by the Danish Arts Foundation, DK

2013

The Nation, solo show (2013-2015) + performance (2013), National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen, DK
The Cave, performance, at ff-forma, part of Painting Forever! Keilrahmen, KW, Berlin, DE
Babylon Shuttle Bus – Mobile Utopia Research Unit, performance, Fusion Festival, DE
Under Her Spell, performance in collaboration with Mathilde ter Heijne and Jen Ray, at ff / TAZ 2, Galerie im Körnerpark, DE

2012

The Community Cycle: Birth, Life, Death, Afterlife, performance cycle in the public space, Copenhagen Arts Festival, DK*
Calling for Water, Calling for Nettles, Calling for Gold, Calling for Dreams, performance, Camden Arts Centre, London, UK

2011

The Nation, performance, National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen, DK
Future Citizens, performance in collaboration with Pulsk Ravn, Kunsthallen Nikolaj and Fabrikken for Kunst og Design, Copenhagen, DK
2010
The Perfect Stage, solo show, The Aarhus Art Building, Aarhus, DK *
Descending the Holy Mountain, performance, The Århus Art Building and public space, Århus, DK
2009
Museum of Autoanthropology, solo show, KBH Kunsthal, Krabbesholm, DK
2008
Tools and Relics, solo show, etc.galerie, Prague, CZ
The Babylon Case – A Time Capsule For Our Civilization, solo project, Pergamon Museum, Berlin, D *
2007
I Know The World 3: Egyptomaniacs, solo show, Sparwasser HQ, Berlin, D
Talking Babylon, solo show and performance, Uqbar, Berlin, D
Egyptomaniacs, solo show, Overgaden – Institute for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK
2005
Doing the worst we can, solo show, RACA, Copenhagen, DK
2002-2004
The Gospel of the Golden Dolphin, ongoing performance project, Liverpool Biennial and others, UK, D, DE

Selected Group Shows

* indicates catalogue or publication

2017
• upcoming: Karachi Biennial, Karachi, PAK
Hybris, group show, Overgaden – Institut for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK

2016
One minutes, screening, Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts (AMNUA), Nanjing, CHN
Survival Kit 8, performance with Paul Philipp Heinze, Linards Kulless, Christoph Mühlau, Magda Tothova, & Suse Wächter, Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art, Riga, LAT
ƒƒ / Stage Diving, Syster Gallery, Luleå, SE
Turm, Turm, Turm, exhibition in 3 parts, Galerie im Turm, Kunstraum Kreuzberg, Berlin, DE
2015
Mending and Bending Remedies Beneath the Palm Tree, performance with Paul Philipp Heinze, Linards Kulless, Christoph Mühlau, Melissa Steckbauer, Magda Tothova, Vienna Art Week, Palme13, Vienna, AUT
Freitag, der 13. | 13 – יום שישי ה, Circle 1, Berlin, DE
Green Gold, performance, KGB Art Week, Galerie im Körnerpark, Berlin, DE
ƒƒ / Pffffff, performance, Works on Paper III, Momentum, Berlin, DE
ƒƒ / Help It Grow, performative conference, Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin, DE
2014
They have come to escort me…, event curated by J&K, Kunsthal Nikolaj, Copenhagen, DK
ƒƒ – TAZ 3 with ff, exhibition and 24h performance event, Teatr Studio, Warsaw, PL
They have come to escort me on the dangerous pathway of the intermediate state, video series curated by J&K, The One Minutes, Amsterdam, NL
Tea with Nefertiti, State Museum of Egyptian Art, Munich, DE*
Der Hen Ad, Sydhavn station, Copenhagen, DK
2013
New Danish Artists, CPH:DOX film festival, screening, Copenhagen, DK
Tea with Nefertiti, Insitute Valencia d’Art Modern, Valencia, ES*
The Oracle / ff, The Wand, Berlin, DE*
Tea with Nefertiti, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, F*
ƒƒ / TAZ 2: Collaborations, Galerie im Körnerpark, Berlin, DE
ƒƒ / TAZ 2: Erogenous Zone, Galerie im Körnerpark, Berlin DE
2012
Tea with Nefertiti, Mathaf, Doha, Qatar*
Day Of The Dead, Minuit Vernissage, Grandteatret, DK*
Das Lebens ist Anderswo, Galerie im Körnerpark, Berlin, DE
2011
Generous Gestures, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK
2010
Transient Spaces – the tourist syndrome, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/NGBK, Berlin, D*
Screened Realities, IG Bildende Kunst, Vienna, AU
Celebration, Uqbar, Berlin, D
Remnants of Exercise 1: Evoking Perfection through Intoxication, performance at Forgotten Bar Project, Berlin, DE
2009
Private Flat # 5 situaction, private flat, Florence, IT
The Party, Beaver Projects, Copenhagen, DK
The Infinite, the Intimate and the Impossible, Magacin, Belgrade, SRB
Reliquaries of the Empires Dust, Bereznitsky Gallery, Berlin, D
2008
Museumsbauhütte, Werkbundarchiv / Museum der Dinge, Berlin, D *
Transient Spaces / Kaunas in art contexts, Meno Parkas, Kaunas, LT
Don’t Worry – Be Curious, 4th Ars Baltica Triennal of Photographic Art, NGBK / Kunstraum Kreuzberg, Berlin, D, Contemporary Arts Centre, Andrejsala, Riga, LAT, Casino Luxembourg, LUX *
The Soft Shields of Pleasure, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK*
I Know The World, SMART Project Space, Amsterdam, NL *
2007
Match Race, Nordjyllands Museum of Art, Ålborg, DK *
I Know The World I, Sparwasser HQ, Berlin, D
The Tent Show, hosted by Parfyme Deluxe, Nikolaj – Contemporary Art Centre, Copenhagen, DK
Don’t Worry – Be Curious, 4th Ars Baltica Triennal of Photographic Art, Stadtgalerie Kiel, DE, KUMU – Estonian Art Museum, Tallin, EE, Pori Art Museum, FI *
Talks on Babylon, performance, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, DK
2006
Tales From the Travel Journal vol I, Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius, LT *
Sit Down! – Contemporary Art in Mimersgade, Mimersgade, Copenhagen, DK *
2005
Suspend Disbelief, Sparwasser HQ, Berlin, D
EXIT 05, Kunstforeningen Gl. Strand, Copenhagen, DK *
2004
Stafet, Esbjerg Museum of Art, Esbjerg, DK *
Rituale der Zukunft, Program Angels/Lothringer Dreizehn, Munich, D
2003
Mixed, Backfabrik, Berlin, D
2002
Liverpool Biennial 2002 – The Independent: New Religious Art II, St Peter’s Church, aconvention, Adelphi Hotel and various public spaces, Liverpool, UK
New Religious Art I, Henry Peacock Gallery, London, UK
2001
Rio Trajectorias, Galeria Funarte – Ministry for Culture and Education and various public spaces, Rio de Janeiro, BRA*
Tea Party, intervention performance, Tate Modern, London, UK
2000
Escamping, The Lido, London, UK
London Biennale 2000, Blue Boy Shop, London, UK

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Contact Info

J&K Studio Berlin
Janne Schäfer
Maybachufer 14/15
DE – 12047 Berlin
j[at]jk-world.net

J&K are members of feminist network ff.

J&K Studio Copenhagen
Kristine Agergaard
Baggesensgade 4C, 4
DK – 2200 Copenhagen N
k[at]jk-world.net

Kristine Agergaard is member of kkart.