Anders von Greffelstejn | As above, so below

Arden Asbæk Gallery is pleased to present Anders von Greffelstejn’s exhibition As above, so below. The exhibition explores the relationship between night and day and the connotations associated with this dichotomy: life and death, inside and outside, exposed and concealed.

The artist, who primarily works at night, has always preferred the darkness. Here, a safe space emerges in which the gaze can concentrate on what comes into view, in contrast to daylight, which makes everything visible – without necessarily making everything clearer. For just because one can see everything does not necessarily mean that one can understand everything.

This tension between visibility and concealment recurs throughout the new works, where light often isolates a fragment of the motif. The beam of light becomes a recurring device that directs the gaze and creates a particular sense of presence: the viewer sees only what is immediately visible, while the rest remains in darkness.

Drawing on his characteristic forest motifs, von Greffelstejn moves in close to nature. The bark, irregularities, and structures of the trees emerge and become almost abstract in their enlarged proximity. The motifs open themselves to the viewer, while the intimate gaze takes on something voyeuristic – as though one were entering a space that was not necessarily meant to be seen.

As above, so below thus explores not only what can be seen, but also what remains concealed in the darkness, and how our gaze is shaped by the light through which we are permitted to see.