The festival Under functions as a hybrid format, combining exhibition and social space, with performances, panel discussions and concerts. It seeks, if only for a moment, to capture an art scene and to present visitors with some of the many elements that constitute the artworld.
Under is populated by a diverse range of exhibition platforms. Attention to these platforms is underexposed – yet they are far from being outsiders. The ambition of the festival is to support the sense of community among these participants, to celebrate one another, and to show the outside world that there exists a vast root system of artists and exhibition spaces across formats that form an essential part of the art ecosystem. It is here that the art of tomorrow takes shape – where the boundaries of what art may be, and how it might be presented, are explored and reimagined again and again.
Under is shaped by a curatorial strategy that places strong emphasis on co-authorship, collaboration, and community. The exhibition text, for example, is shared between five voices from the scene: a curator, an artist, a gallerist, a writer, and the director of a local art centre. In a similar way, the exhibition itself is co-curated by the participating platforms.
Under is a fragment of a larger scene. Within Simian’s space, it manifests as a gathering of gestures, objects, and social encounters — together unfolding a story of a transgressive, diverse, and ever-changing art scene.
The festival is co-curated by Fafaya Mogensen and Nikolaj Stobbe in collaboration with Simian.
