Esben

Kaldahl

Esben Kaldahl is a Danish artist. For the exhibition, he created three pieces. Enter the Dungeon is his confession of not being there for himself. About disappearing in fantasies and fairytales, of incarnating heroes without an end. Oh! To be a knight that simply respawns when they fail; infinite chances and zero fucks given. But shadow work isn’t about slaying demons and conquering with stoicism, it’s about hugging all the nasty parts of yourself and damn, that’s such hardcore work. Luckily, there is also happiness involved. Even though, being a femme queen night elf giving killer lap dances at the local tavern is still, some days, my happy place.

The Beaumains Blade is inspired by the medieval romances - there is a word used for men who are (too) feminine which is ‘beaumains’ meaning something in the direction of having fair hands. I feel like it’s kind of the medieval times’ slur synonymous to a fairy or a faggot.

The Beaumains Blade was crafted by goblins and has been passed from queer to queer through many generations. Even though it is a useless sword for combat, thus disappointing any heroic expectations, it is believed to have the power of humming quietly whenever someone gay nears it.

WASDWASDWASD (can’t you see you are running in circles). The mirror is a romantic cliché of self-contemplation. But sometimes you need a cliché to serve as a reminder. With shadow work, it’s like we keep forgetting it, that it is necessary. Convenient right? Hopefully it can serve as a gateway to lean into vulnerability with yourself because frankly, that is what the world needs. There is no way around. You must enter the dungeon.

The WASD-mirror was stored in a dusty attic of an abandoned house for centuries. It was discovered during the Great Conflict between men (still going on) when the small town it resided in was burned down. In the embers of destruction, the mirror began to weep. Legend says that it can cry the tears of those who are unable to themselves. Somehow it ended up here.

Armoire of the Oak and the Reeds - the fable about the oak and the reeds is written by a Greek slave named Aesop. It is a tale of a mighty strong oak and the bendy reeds that encounter a storm. The oak stands it's ground but to no avail. It falls, torn up by the roots. The reeds however yield to the storm and survives. Yielding to the storms of life, written by someone living in slavery — that’s wisdom. The armoire of the Oak and the Reeds is a most peculiar artifact. It is forged of a certain type of clay that can be found near brooks. When fired it becomes near indestructible. The only downside is that the material is so lightweight it will blow away by even the softest breeze. Better anchor it if you intend on keeping it.

The knight is my avatar,
An antithesis to my own capsized initiative.
Sometimes man, sometimes woman.
A fluid entity of metal and magic, of body and thing.
A blob of armored flesh;
Now a snake headed druid,
now a necromantic nightmare named GraveLord666.

Like reed that bends to the wind,
The knight waltzes with passing storms.
Doing the biddings of the creatures of night,
Of ghosts, witches and the like.
Who cares not for Kings nor Courts.

A true creature of the Fey,
Who has come to slay!


The Beaumains Blade (sculpture) 2022
87x15x3cm
Platinum plated ceramics, patinated aluminum, pearls, acrylic

Armoire of the Oak and the Reeds (cabinet) 2022
60x40x28cm
Ceramics

WASDWASDWASD (can’t you see you are running in circles) (mirror) 2022
70x70x8cm
Patinated aluminum, freshwater pearls, ceramics, fluorite crystal, mirror glass

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