V1 GALLERY PROUDLY PRESENTS
APE SAVANT
A SOLO EXHIBITION BY TROELS CARLSEN
Monkeys are superior to men in this:
when a monkey looks into a mirror, he sees a monkey.
Malcom de Chazal
Ape Savant portrays the point of intersection between man and monkey. Troels Carlsen deconstructs the conception of the carefree banana-eating monkey and examines the grey area between animal kingdom and realm of man. By placing the monkey in the civilized(?) world Ape Savant throws the absurdity and randomness of existence in a dark and humorous relief with gravity lurking in the shadows.
In some works one encounters restless primates who have crossed socio-territorial borders and have to struggle for peace and calm in anonymous storerooms and dental cliniques. One also meets a group of primates portrayed as solemn senatorial candidates in a distant decade a century ago. Ones thoughts are immediately drawn to Darwin, alpha males, group mentality and the political arena.
In other situations the concrete physiological borders are blurred. Wellknown anatomics are revised in a way that doesn't quite correspond with knowledge aquired in primary school's biology-classes. Troels Carlsen manipulates with genes resulting in a fusion between chimpansees and gibbons on one side and the human body on the other. This genetic hybrid makes it difficult to distinguish man from animal and animal from man. Furthermore the sculptures pose the question whether it is even possible to talk about contrasts.
In Ape Savant Troels Carlsen turns his attention to the mislead, but 'knowing' monkey as well as it's complex conditions in the human-made technological fast lane. At the same time he reflects about man as animal and thus evolution and society. Troels Carlsens fascination with our closest relatives is ever present in his empathetic and insightful works comprising both painting, photo, drawing and installation.
Simultaneously with Ape Savant at V1 Gallery Troels Carlsen is also exhibiting in Berlin at Spielhaus Morrison Galerie in the group exhibition 'The End, My Friend' and at gallery 'Første til Venstre', also in Copenhagen, in the group exhibition 'Stafetten'.
