ISOLATIONROOM/GALLERYKIT: Friday, 8 November 2013

Heidi Hove: The Refrigerator
November 8 - December 5, 2013
Opening Reception: November 8, 2013 6pm-8pm

The Refrigerator is a solo exhibition project by Heidi Hove (DK), which will take place from November 8 - December 5, 2013 in the exhibition space, Isolation Room / Gallery Kit (IR/GK), with the distinctive location in a private home in St. Louis (US). The project will consist of a simple gesture by relocating and isolating the refrigerator of the house during the exhibition period.

Heidi Hove will also launch a new book entitled The Refrigerator in conjunction with the exhibition, containing a photo essay by Heidi Hove and analysis by sociologist Ulla Holm, art critic Carl Martin Faurby, artist Sarrita Hunn and anthropologist Mette Krog.

IR/GK is a simple white cube built and situated in the dining room of a private residence in the suburbs of St. Louis. The concept of IR/GK is to focus on a single artwork per exhibition cycle. With this project, Hove presents a site-specific displacement of the household refrigerator by removing it from the ordinary location in the kitchen to the exhibition space located in the dining room. This gesture highlights the device often described as ‘the heart of the house’, as a somewhat private, closed withdrawn and obscure place. Revealing the refrigerator as a public display complete with spotlights in the white cube also reverses everyday life - and the condition of stored content of the refrigerator for this specific household is now in an exhibition.

Danes like their fridges and recent media attention has focused on the power of the refrigerator in the media. On national television titled, ‘Vis mig dit køleskab’ (Show me your fridge) Danes were entertained by getting to know each other better by looking into the refrigerators of the people. But what can you actually find out about a person or family by looking into their refrigerator? How will the viewer and not least the proprietor act in relation to the exhibited fridge? As a foreigner can one get a better insight in another culture through their refrigerator?