A TEAR FOR SOMEONE UNDESERVING Sunniva Hestenes 12.09–05.10.2024

past exhibition

4 Aug

Announcement

Oblong is excited to present A Tear for Someone Undeserving, an exhibition by artist Sunniva Hestenes.

Join us for the opening on Thursday 12th September, 17:00-21:00.

The exhibition runs 12.09 - 05.10.24

Curator & Graphic Design: Casper Cosmus Alsøe

Related Programming

Opening & Book Release on Thursday 12th September 17.00-21.00

Artist talk with Sunniva Hestenes & Frida Lisa Carstensen Jersø on Thursday 3rd October 18.00-19.00

Exhibition Statement

A Tear for Someone Undeserving was prompted by the sudden death of the artist's mother and invites us on an introspective visual journey through a combination of new works and archival photos from Hestenes' childhood. With this exhibition, Hestenes explores their own intricate family relationships and emotional landscapes. Each image serves as a reminder of the journey towards acceptance in Hestenes' struggle with the complexity of grief. The pictures foretell the tragedy, document funeral rituals, and provide glimpses into a relationship that will forever remain stagnant.

At the heart of the narrative lies a series of archive photos, where the innocence in the child's gaze serves as a testament to the passage of time. Particularly noteworthy is a photograph of the child's mother, captured in a moment of vulnerable intoxication. The images encapsulate complex feelings of the heavy responsibility of being a caregiver for a challenged parent. In this context, the camera lens becomes a tool through which Hestenes navigates the intricacies of family dynamics.

A Tear for Someone Undeserving serves as a visual exploration of the complex web of relationships that make up family bonds and illustrates the symbolic resonance that images carry long after they were taken. Through Hestenes' subtle lens, an emotional terrain shaped by grief, complexity, and family tensions is visualised in a story marked by loss, substance abuse, and resilience.

The exhibition opening will also serve as the release event for the book of the same title. The book is published by the Norwegian publisher Heavy Books and will be presented in conjunction with the exhibition.

Artist

Sunniva Hestenes (b. 1999) is a Norwegian interdisciplinary artist currently living in Copenhagen, Denmark. Hestenes completed their BFA at Valand Academy in Gothenburg in 2023. They have participated in numerous exhibitions both in the Nordic region and internationally, with their most recent exhibitions including Röda Sten Konsthall in Gothenburg, The House of Photography in Oslo, and NW Gallery in Copenhagen. Their works are often dark, raw, and centred around themes such as destruction, dystopia, escapism, and ethereal realities.