Kunstverein Langenhagen

In 2009 we presented two works from the Danish artist, Sofie Thorsen (born 1971) in the group exhibition, ‘Forschungsstation Sozialer Raum’. Thorsen’s interest encompasses contemporary architecture as well as city- and landscape planning phenomena. Her usually long-term projects include multi-part works within an ever-developing field of interest. All works are preceded by extensive site-specific research, which enables her to include hidden historical, economic and socio-cultural implications.

The starting point of the exhibition, “Leuchtend Grau”, is her latest film, ‘The Achromatic Island, (2009), that she made on the Danish island of Fur. Alongside the presentation of the landscape that is characterised, on the one hand of migration into cities, and on the other by urban sprawl through the encouragement of commercial areas, Thorsen establishes a particular vision: her black and white film attempts to present a filmic equivalent to the hereditary colour blindness that was prevalent on Flur until the 30’s.

With the aid of an interview with a colour blind person and quotes from relevant literature, Thorsen comes closer to this particular form of perception that is accompanied by an extreme sensitivity to light, reduced visual sharpness and a comprehensive colour blindness. By means of recording techniques and material she undertakes the attempt to translate this into images. Long passages combined with text sequences and photographs sound out various attempts at pictorial ordering. The multifaceted approach turns into a ‘conceptual visual test’ that demonstrates the borders of communication and presentability of different perceptions.