Explore Lone Haugaard Madsen's Raum #26 – Retrofleksive: An Exhibition on Art Production and Context

This exhibition by Danish artist Lone Haugaard Madsen explores fundamental questions about the conditions of exhibiting and art production. It features concrete works, photography, objects, and texts that delve into the relationship between a catalog, the exhibition space, and the audience's expectations.

Lone Haugaard Madsen's practice investigates the conditions of exhibiting and art production, giving equal weight to discussions, theoretical texts, and concrete artworks. Her work grapples with core questions such as what constitutes an artwork, the role of an institution, and the relationship between a catalog, the exhibition space, the artist's intentions, and audience expectations. For 'Raum #26 – Retrofleksive', the artist views her first major publication not merely as documentation but as an extension of the exhibition itself. The catalog's cover incorporates a photograph of the Secession's iconic wall lettering, which Madsen had previously drawn onto her studio wall. This gesture highlights her critical reflection on the parameters of the art world, observing and integrating her own position within it. Madsen's recent work focuses on the studio space, questioning its institutionalization and the production demands it places on an artist. The new works and texts arising from this studio exploration are presented as seemingly autonomous objects, pointing to an artistic desire that transcends purely conceptual considerations, while simultaneously questioning authoritative gestures of knowledge and skill. These pieces gather diverse elements, including traces from drawing, transcription errors, notes, and material remnants, some of which remain hidden or unexpressed, mirroring the unshown lines of a drawing or the unspoken parts of a conversation. The exhibition thus presents a form of postponement, where the objects of desire are withheld, or a tentative approach to sculpture and painting that resists appearing as traditional works. Madsen's creations are never innocent; they are acutely aware of their contexts and complex interconnections, reflected on multiple levels. The exhibition critically examines the systems and spaces within which art is produced and displayed, inviting viewers to consider the multifaceted nature of artistic practice and its presentation.

Information regarding tickets can be found via a link to the Secession's ticketing platform. General opening hours for the Secession are Tuesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 6 PM.