The Barrel (2012)

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In the summer of 2012 FUKK had just accepted new members and was ready to start planning the following year’s group exhibition. It was decided that for this exhibition no one would work alone; at least two members would need to be involved in the creation of each piece. The exhibition would be an examination of how to unite independent artists, since this was, after all, FUKK’s project. It was a serious challenge. At the following meeting members agreed as a starting point to do a group exercise to purposely exacerbate and attempt to bring into focus the feelings of irritation and crossed-boundaries that was anticipated through collective work. FUKK would, rather than letting internal irritations turn into the usual mundane mix of passive aggression and grudging acceptance, attempt to magnify and examine them.

The group built a round barrel that had approximately enough space along its outside perimeter for 8 people to stand upon. The challenge was to fit all 9 FUKK members on the barrel at the same time – which required each member to balance on one leg. Due to the size of the barrel, this proved nearly impossible. There was no talking during the exercise but a great deal of heavy breathing, groaning and sweating. The exercise went on for hours and the longest time all were able to balance on the barrel came to around 2 minutes. Afterwards everybody went outside, sat down and started discussing ideas for works. The result was displayed in March 2013 at Dansehallerne.

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The starting point for the 2014 spring exhibition was a fictional narrative about a group of former members who had left FUKK in protest against the collective direction FUKK had taken. This splinter group occupied the old abandoned villa at Krausesvej 3, where they explored the dynamics of an intensely individualist and highly competitive creative environment. During their stay the barrel used for the group exercise the year before was brought to the villa and burned in the yard as a final abandonment of the old union.

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