Kalkau uses herself as well as her – often “egg-shaped” – sculptures in her photographs: “I think my objects take on a different life when they are in my photographs.” She applies different techniques while developing film, one of them being solarization, which she also uses to revive old pictures with an added layer: “It creates a strange, obscure and dream-like state in the photos.”
When she creates art in public spaces or buildings, such as churches, Kalkau feels that it has to be “as simple as possible so you understand why it’s placed there. And on the other hand, I’d like it to have an element of surprise.” In continuation of this, Kalkau feels that humour is necessary for art: “Humour undermines power or diffuses a situation.”
Sophia Kalkau (b. 1960) is a Danish artist, who primarily works with sculptures and photography. Kalkau has exhibited widely and her decorative commissions can be seen in venues throughout Denmark including Grøndal Church and Skejby Hospital. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the 2008 Eckersberg Medal. In addition to her sculptures and photographic works, Kalkau has also written prose and books on aesthetics. For more see: kalkau.dk/
Sophia Kalkau was interviewed by Nina Humphrey at Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, Denmark in November 2018 in connection with the exhibition ‘Sophia Kalkau – The Material and the Egg’.
Camera: Nina Humphrey, Sofie Høyer, Susi Castelo and Patrick Lang
Produced by: Marc-Christoph Wagner, Nina Humphrey, Sofie Høyer, Susi Castelo and Patrick Lang
Edited by: Nina Humphrey, Sofie Høyer, Susi Castelo and Patrick Lang
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2019
Supported by Nordea fonden