Pia Arke's Arctic Hysteria at KW Berlin Examines Colonial Legacy Through Kalaallit Identity
The KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin is showcasing Arctic Hysteria, marking the largest solo exhibition of Pia Arke, a Kalaaleq-Danish artist, outside of Scandinavia and Kalaallit Nunaat. This exhibition features over a hundred pieces that delve into themes of colonial history and identity. Born in 1958, Arke created an 'Ethno-Aesthetic' approach to redefine perceptions of 'Greenlandness.' Her 1996 video Arctic Hysteria reinterprets a colonial image of an Inuit woman. The display also includes her Perlustrations I–XI (1994) series and the Legend I–V (1999) collages. Arke passed away in 2007 at the age of forty-eight. The exhibition will be available until October 20, aligning with heightened focus on Denmark-Kalaallit Nunaat relations.
Key facts
- Pia Arke was a Kalaaleq-Danish artist born in 1958 who died in 2007
- Arctic Hysteria is at KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin through October 20
- The exhibition features over 100 works including photography, video, collage, and performance
- Arke created the video Arctic Hysteria in 1996 after being denied permission to use a colonial photograph
- She developed an 'Ethno-Aesthetic' to critique expectations of 'Greenlandness' in art
- Arke constructed a human-sized camera obscura and shipped it to Kalaallit Nunaat
- The exhibition is the largest solo show of Arke's work outside Scandinavia and Kalaallit Nunaat
- Recent developments include legal recognition of Kalaallisut in the Danish parliament and lawsuits by illegally adopted children
Entities
Artists
- Pia Arke
- Inuuteq Storch
- Jessie Kleemann
- Stefan Jonsson
- Aki Matilda Høgh-Dam
Institutions
- KW Institute for Contemporary Art
- Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
- Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
- Explorers Club
- Venice Biennale
- Danish parliament
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Kalaallit Nunaat
- Greenland
- New York
- United States
- Thule
- Nuugaarsuk