Posted on January 31, 2013 by Martin

GIVE THE KID A BREAK ?Installation by Jes Brinch 1993 - 2013 Martin Bryder Gallery Nygatan 12. 222 29 Lund. Sweden February 9 - 24. 2013. Thursday: 16 - 20. Saturday: 13 - 16 Opening party Saturday February 9. from 13:00 to 19:00 Martin Bryder Gallery is proud to present the legendary installation GIVE THE KID A BREAK by Danish artist Jes Brinch. The installation had considerable impact on Danish experimental art when it was first shown 20 years ago in Copenhagen. It is recreated for this exhibition in Lund in 2013. GIVE THE KID A BREAK consists of eight strobe lights, a smoke machine, a sleeping bag with what appears to be a sleeping person, a pair of used sneakers, and fast food trash. Jes Brinch “In 1993 I was invited to do an exhibition in a basement in Copenhagen. Feeling some- what depressed during that period, I decided to use my emotional state as fuel for an installation, instead of trying to escape or deny my situation. This became GIVE THE KID A BREAK, an installation that conveys an emotional state of withdrawal from the world. This particular installation made me realize that negative emotions can be transformed into art works that communicate directly with the audience. Now, 20 years later, I have recreated the installation, which is on view at Martin Bryder Gallery. I feel the message of GIVE THE KID A BREAK is as relevant today as ever.” Danish artists Peter Land and Michael Elmgreen about GIVE THE KID A BREAK: Peter Land “I vividly remember the first time I saw, or rather experienced, the installation GIVE THE KID A BREAK by Jes Brinch. At the time I had seen a few installations by Jes, and his work had pretty much set the agenda on the Danish art scene in the 90’s. His installations were characterized by the use of effects that were fresh in an art context, like fluorescent colors, strobe lights, as well as sound. This made his work seem very contemporary in the best sense of that word, which is; it spoke the language of his generation. At the same time he had a clear message, and I got the sense that to him, art was a way of communi- cating in a language that could be understood by everybody, not just an elite few. I could relate to that, and on a personal level it changed my idea about what art could be, and what art should do. GIVE THE KID A BREAK was, and is, to me the ultimate Jes Brinch installation. The installation is as relevant today as it was when first exhibited in 1993. It stands out by the economy of its means and the clarity of its language. At the same time it is a very personal work that touched me by its intimate frankness and the vulnerability that comes across. I remember thinking back in 1993 when I first saw it something that I still believe to this day: GIVE THE KID A BREAK is a masterpiece by a truly great artist.” Michael Elmgreen “GIVE THE KID A BREAK is one of the ten art works that has influenced me the most.” The installation is now in the collection of Elmgreen & Dragset, Berlin.

 

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