ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Maya Kramer Mines Svalbard's Deep Time in Second Capsule Shanghai Solo

exhibition · 2026-10-18

Maya Kramer's second solo exhibition, "In the Time It Takes," is currently on display at Capsule in Shanghai, drawing inspiration from her 2023 journey to Svalbard. Born in 1977 in Washington DC, Kramer delves into the relationship between humanity and the natural world. The show includes "Ashes" (2021–2023), a sculpture crafted from painted aluminum that resembles a future fossil. An immersive space features indigo-blue wallpaper adorned with digitized cyanotype fossil visuals and rock-like sculptures that echo Svalbard's "bread rocks," made from plaster and clay. These sculptures unveil texts and images when opened, highlighting geological time and human influence. Kramer's paintings feature hand-engraved markings, representing the formation of landscapes. Her Arctic Circle Residency was backed by NYU Shanghai, including LOUD, ICA, and the Office of Research.

Key facts

  • "In the Time It Takes" is Maya Kramer's second solo exhibition at Capsule in Shanghai.
  • Kramer was born in 1977 in Washington DC, USA.
  • The works stem from her 2023 expedition to the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.
  • "Ashes" (2021–2023) is a painted-aluminum sculpture cast from tree bark, tinted from faint purple to flame yellow.
  • The second room features indigo-blue wallpaper of digitized cyanotype fossil images and rock-like sculptures on shelves.
  • The sculptures recreate Svalbard's "bread rocks," a slate that fractures into separable, refittable sections.
  • Some sculptures open like books to reveal texts, broken images, fossil bas-reliefs and blank surfaces.
  • Kramer's Arctic Circle Residency was supported by NYU Shanghai's LOUD, ICA and Office of Research.

Entities

Artists

  • Maya Kramer
  • Adolf Hoel
  • Robert Fotherby

Institutions

  • Capsule
  • Capsule Shanghai
  • NYU Shanghai
  • Shanghai Key Laboratory of Urban Design and Urban Science (LOUD)
  • Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)
  • Office of Research
  • Arctic Circle Residency
  • The Norwegian Academy of Sciences
  • Norsk Polarinstitutt
  • Lundblad Media AS
  • American Antiquarian Society
  • Earth Nullschool
  • Jacob Dybwad

Locations

  • Shanghai
  • China
  • Washington DC
  • USA
  • Svalbard
  • Norway
  • Spitsbergen
  • Bear Island
  • Oslo

Sources

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