Cosy catastrophe

Rasmus Brink Pedersen

10 - 30 May 2013

Opening 9 May, 5 - 8 pm

(scroll for english version)

 

“When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere.”

― John Wyndham, ‘The Day of the Triffids’

 

Udstillingen ‘Cosy catastrophe’ af Rasmus Brink Pedersen er første del i projektet af samme navn.

Betegnelsen cosy catastrophe blev opfundet af science fiction forfatteren Brian Aldiss for at beskrive en særlig undergenre af postapokalyptisk science fiction, som især fandtes i England efter anden verdenskrig. Han sigtede især til John Wyndham, hvis værker fra perioden er blevet næsten synonyme med undergenren. En cosy catastrophe er kendetegnet ved at tage udgangspunkt i en katastrofe, hvor civilisationen stort set forsvinder. Uden den gamle samfundsordens regler, love og sikkerhedsforanstaltninger må de overlevende nu skabe sig en ny tilværelse. Som læser følger man herefter de forskellige, mere eller mindre karikerede, forsøg på nye organisationsformer. Det hyggelige skal hos Aldiss forstås som en kritik af, at hovedpersonerne i disse romaner simpelthen har det for nemt, at katastrofen ikke gør ondt nok på dem.

Med udgangspunkt i en sådan hyggelig katastrofe er det projektets mål at danne ramme om et kollektivt skriveprojekt. Rasmus Brink Pedersen har inviteret en række forfattere med forskellig faglig baggrund til at deltage i dette arbejde. Udstillingen i NLHspace vil i udstillingsperioden danne ramme om en række møder og præsentationer, i løbet af hvilke rammerne for skrivearbejdet udstikkes. Dette arbejde vil kunne følges på bloggen cosycatastrophe.wordpress.com. Den trykte udgave forventes færdig i løbet af efteråret 2013.

Udstillingen i NLHspace er inspireret af den særlige gren af konstruktivismen, der i Danmark blev praktiseret af blandt andre Paul Gadegaard i hans store udsmykningsopgaver for skjortefabrikanten Aage Damgaard i Herning fra 1952 til 1960. Denne konstruktivisme så kunsten som en aktiv og praktisk del i opbygningen af et nyt samfund oven på verdenskrigenes ødelæggelser. Gadegaard bevidnede disse ødelæggelser på nært hold under togturene mellem København og Paris, hvoraf den første fandt sted i 1946. Rummet vil blive domineret af baner af teltstof og en møbelgruppe. Teltstof hører både til camping og katastrofer. Møblernes udsmykning er inspireret af en udateret skitse til en komposition af Paul Gadegaard, der peger frem imod hans største opgave: udsmykningen af Den Sorte Fabrik 1957 – 1960.

http://cosycatastrophe.wordpress.com/

 

(English)

When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere.” 

― John Wyndham, ‘The Day of the Triffids’

 

The exhibition ‘Cosy catastrophe’ by Rasmus Brink Pedersen is the first part of the project with the same title.

The term cosy catastrophe was invented by the science fiction writer Brian Aldiss to describe a certain sub-genre of post-apocalyptic science fiction, which arose in England after the Second World War. In particular Aldiss was hinting at the writer John Wyndham, whose works from this period has become almost synonymous with the sub-genre. A cosy catastrophe is characterized by the way it takes its point of departure in a catastrophe in which civilization almost disappears. Without the rules, laws and safety of the old social order, the survivors will now have to create a new life for themselves, and the reader is introduced to a number of different attempts at organizing the new way of live. The cosy in Aldiss’ term is to be understood as a critique of the way in which the main characters get through the turmoil of the catastrophe much too comfortably. Thus, that the disaster is not sufficiently painful.

The purpose of the project is to facilitate a collective writing-project inspired by thecosy catastrophe tradition. Rasmus Brink Pedersen has invited a number of writers from different fields to take part in this process. Meetings and presentations will take place within the exhibition in NLHspace. During these meetings the framework for thecosy catstrophe writing-project will be constructed. You can follow this work on the blog cosycatastrophe.wordpress.com. The printed version is expected to come out in the fall of 2013.

The inspiration for the exhibition in NLHspace is drawn from the special kind of constructivism, which was practiced by, amongst others, Paul Gadegaard. For instance in his large-scale works between 1952 and 1960 for the shirt-factories belonging to Aage Damgaard. This constructivism considered art to be an active and practical part in building a new society after the destructions of World War Two. Gadegaard had seen these destructions firsthand during his train-trips between Copenhagen and Paris, the first of which took place in 1946. The exhibition space will be dominated by lengths of tent-fabric and a group of furniture. The tent-fabric belongs both to the realms of camping and catastrophe. The pattern on the furniture is inspired by an undated sketch for a composition by Paul Gadegaard, which points towards his work on the so-called Black Factory between 1957 and 1960.