Group Exhibition

A Seat at the Table

V1 SALON is pleased to present 

A Seat at the Table 
A group exhibition with Ania Pieranska, Casey Baden, Danny Fox, Fryd Frydendahl, Monica Kim Garza, Oliver Sundqvist, Rose Eken, Søren Behncke and Todd James 

EXHIBITION PERIOD: APRIL 09 – MAY 2. 2026

A Seat at the Table examines contemporary life through one of the most familiar sites of human experience: the table.

The exhibition echoes the Dutch tradition of stilleben – Still Life, a style of paintings reflecting the unprecedented material abundance experienced in the Netherlands following their colonial expansion in the 17th century. These baroque images were overflowing with both symbols of abundance and its inevitable decay: flowers blooming out of season, fruits, meat, flies and worms claiming their place in the feast while plates teeter on the edge of the table defying gravity – reminders that everything could vanish in an instant; memento mori. Our relationship to Still Life has since shifted. Material excess is no longer exceptional; instead, what feels rare today is time, presence, and connection.

In this exhibition, the table becomes a place of community rather than display. Sparse, unadorned surfaces speak to the contemporary longing for closeness: smoking in the sun with friends, sitting on the grass with fruit, lingering in conversation. The artists focus less on objects and more on the emotions the table holds. For Oliver Sundqvist, the table becomes a hiding place, a refuge when social anxiety rises. For Ania Pieranska, it is a gathering of supportive friends, a moment to lean into and forget the world. For Monica Kim Garza, the table is a site of writing, working, and contemplation. Fryd Frydendahl plays with Still Life tradition by placing forks in unexpected scenarios, creating shifting, lived‑in tableaux of curious exploitation and play. 

This is the contemporary abundance; time, freedom and relationships, now, as rare as imported goods were and equally reserved for the few. In a sense, these artworks are a dream of time to spend simply sitting at a table.