The Suitcase Project was initiated by Thor Nørmark-Larsen and Liberty Paterson to recognise Wales and Danish based artists at a crucial stage in their careers.
The Suitcase Project’s objectives are:
>To support ten emerging artists based in Denmark and Wales, providing them with the opportunity to cross geographical boundaries and work beyond their home country or current situation
>To provide the general public, artists and students with the opportunity to benefit from and contribute to the project
>To create dialogue and exchange of ideas between different countries and cultures and initiate debates surrounding broader notions of identity, borders and travel
>To provide a context and platform for 10 emerging artists, which will succeed in raising the artists' profile
>To give networking opportunities that could create prospects for collaboration in the future
The Suitcase Project involves an extended period of international collaboration between artists, curators and venues; the creation of new artwork and a cultural exchange and exhibition. The project has been developed around ideas of portability, travel and transition. In keeping with the theme of the exhibition, five artists based in Denmark and five artists based in Wales have been invited to create works which fit into a suitcase, travelling with them to their exhibiting destination. The exhibitions will be open for one week only and the artists will return with their work in their suitcases at the end of the week.
The Suitcase Project’s primary aim is artistic and curatorial development. This project will contribute to the artists’ and the curators’ creative and professional development, providing them with an international perspective and a platform for the creation of new artworks. The exhibition provides a valuable opportunity for the project to contribute to its local communities and promote discussion of new developments in contemporary Welsh and Danish art. It is hoped that the exhibition will provoke debate concerning the increasing nomadic condition of both the artist and works of art as well as appealing to wider audience though its reflection of topical issues such as immigration, identity and displacement.
The exhibitions in Cardiff and Copenhagen will show at:
>Beaver Projects, Copenhagen from 18 - 23 September
>The Old Library, Cardiff from 24 - 28 October
Throughout the two weeks of exhibition in Copenhagen and Cardiff, The Suitcase Project will host free public events, including artists and curator talks, guided tours and ‘Next Generation’ – an opportunity for art students to discuss artistic development after graduation with the project’s curators and artists. As part of the public event programme there will be opportunities to see live performance and music relating to the themes of the exhibition.
The 10 artists contributing: Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen; Morten Dysgaard; Sean Edwards; Carwyn Evans; Rabab Ghazoul; Rebecca Gould; Violeta Miranda; Torben Ribe; Jennie Savage and Sixten Therkildsen were selected for the exchange and exhibition because of the high quality of their work and their ability to interpret the themes of portability, travel and transition in diverse and thought-provoking ways.