Shaping a Pattern
In January 2024, Trapholt presents the solo exhibition Shaping a Pattern, where the Danish artist Maria Torp explores the potential of portraiture as an activist and enlightening format. The exhibition will be a sensual and enlightening journey through five years of work, featuring 12 portraits of influential individuals, interviews, films, and Torp’s extensive research material. The exhibition will be held from January 18th to November 24th, 2024.
Shaping A Pattern is an ambitious art project that focuses on issues related to the rights, social status, and living conditions of girls and women on a global scale. The project was developed by the Danish visual artist Maria Torp and aims to create positive and powerful narratives about complex and problematic subjects. Maria Torp possesses a special ability to shape complexity in art that both touches and affects us, reminding us that in the global world, we are closely connected across national borders and cultural differences.
12 strong portraits
The exhibition will present strong and moving portraits of advocates for equal rights.
Among them is the Afghan rapper Sonita Alizadeh, active in the fight against child marriage. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former vice president of South Africa and CEO of UN Women. Ziauddin Yousafzai, a prominent advocate for girls’ right to education and father to Malala, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt. Denis Mukwege, the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work with victims of sexual wartime violence.
Maria Torp’s journey
Maria Torp’s journey traces back to the 2014 election in Afghanistan. If the Taliban regained power, it would mean more years of female suppression – prompting women to head to the polls. They dipped their fingers in ink, cast their votes, and when they subsequently met on the streets, they discreetly showed their ink-stained fingers to each other as proof that they had voted.
The story deeply moved Torp, leading her to wonder: What if an entire person was dipped in ink? She met with an Afghan woman who agreed to be painted from her face down to her navel in purple, after which Torp portrayed her on canvas.
From there, Torp felt a need to use her art as an activist voice. She decided to embark on an ambitious and lengthy journey. Twelve trips, twelve countries, and twelve individuals dedicated to working for the rights of girls and women will be portrayed in the upcoming exhibition.
Foto: Niels Ole Sørensen
The exhibition is supported by the Beckett Foundation, the Obel Family Foundation, the Danish Arts Foundation, the Sydbank Foundation, and the William Demant Foundation.
