I have a deep nostalgia for the future
A group exhibition
@Charlotte Street Foundation, Kansas City, US
12.11.21 – 08.01.22
Exhibition view of I have a deep nostalgia for the future at the Charlotte Street Foundation
Exhibition detail of Common Ground
Hand embroidered folding stools
Cordura, thread, nylon, aluminium frames, parachute cord, carabiners
Exhibition detail of Shelter of Presence
Hand sewn sleeping bags
Tyvek, thread, nylon, spray paint, elastic cord, plastic stoppers, zippers, carabiners
Shelter of Presence
Hand sewn sleeping bag
Tyvek, thread, nylon, spray paint, elastic cord, plastic stoppers, zippers, carabiners
Shelter of Presence
Hand sewn sleeping bags
Tyvek, thread, nylon, spray paint, elastic cord, plastic stoppers, zippers, carabiners
Exhibition detail of Common Ground
Hand embroidered folding stools
Cordura, thread, nylon, aluminium frames, parachute cord, carabiners
Exhibition detail of Common Ground
Hand embroidered folding stools
Cordura, thread, nylon, aluminium frames, parachute cord, carabiners
Detail of Common Ground
Hand embroidered folding stool
The exhibition, I have a deep nostalgia for the future took place in 2021 at the Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City, and brought together three international artists whose work explores their relationships with digital networked technology and its emotional and aesthetic effects. The exhibition included the pieces by Richard Alexandersson (Oslo), Emmy Skensved (Berlin), and Pete Fleming (Seattle).
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Emmy Skensved’s fabric sculptures reimagine outdoor adventure gear, link social behaviour with survival, and bring issues of community to the forefront. At the Charlotte Street Foundation, she showed two new sculptural installations, Common Ground and Shelter of Presence. Produced during the pandemic, these pieces possess a certain nostalgia for a time when gathering in groups was easier and a yearning for a future when unfettered assembly will be possible again.
Common Ground is a work consisting of five portable, folding stools, like those often used on camping trips. In this case however, the stools are joined together with paracord, and the seats are embellished with text. Read all together, the embroidered words form a paraphrased quote from an article written by two social scientists, outlining key elements that create a sense of community within a group.
Shelter of Presence is a piece made from two handmade sleeping bags. The forms themselves are constructed out of Tyvek, a material commonly used to insulate homes. A paraphrased quote from author John O’Donohue is scrawled across the surfaces, linking the two bags. It reads “when we gather in the shelter of presence, there are moments of deep belonging… for a while the restlessness within the heart grows still.” Much like Common Ground, this work also speaks to finding a sense of affinity or kinship in the company of others.
An interview with Emmy Skensved, conducted by curator Kimi Kitada, can be found on the Charlotte Street Foundation website.