Mash Up: Denmark Based Artist Olof Olsson

[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE]
4 March 2009

Mash Up: Denmark Based Artist Olof Olsson To Perform At Artspace

MASH UP
Exhibition Dates: 7 March ­ 29 April
Opening reception: 6 March, 6 pm
Olof Olsson's Performance: 7 March, 12:30pm

Olof Olsson is in Auckland this week to participate in MASH UP, ARTSPACE's contribution to Auckland Festival. How much of one culture can be communicated by another? MASH UP investigates processes of translation and the impact of contact between diverse cultures.

Olof Olsson introduces his practice: "In Webster's Third New International Dictionary there are 8 chief definitions of the word
'image'. In my art practice I try to think about all of them."

Olof's performative practice employs a similar kind of dry wit, at times he presents himself in the manner of a slick corporate service through offering psychological testing to audiences, such as in Mondriananalysis(1994) where he attempts to make Mondrian more popular by consulting with "clients"- the audience whose personalities he analyses through birth date generated Mondrian pictures.

From 2003-2007 he collaborated with Daniel Solomon on a multi faceted language based project called La Loko. They created a parallel to media and corporate structures and inserted the idealist language of Esperanto, where one usually would expect English. Among other projects they created Espero, the world's first sitcom in Esperanto. It is set in a dysfunctional advertising agency.

Olof Olsson was born in Helsingborg, Sweden. He studied at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Beginning with photography, Olsson's body of work now encompasses all possible media with an emphasis on performance. He has exhibited extensively since 1994 within Copenhagen and internationally. He lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark.

ENDS

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