A life-sized pig skin, weathered and evocative, leans against the wall amidst three fantastical zinc and acrylic sculptures—artifacts that seem to oscillate between ancient relics and divine instruments, perhaps plucked from the hands of Olympic gods. The scene is set in what resembles a dusty, abandoned shed, a space imbued with both desolation and mystery.
For Jacobs’ Booth’s second presentation, London-based curator, critic, and art editor Maria Abramenko has selected Danish artist Uffe Isolotto (°1976) to transform the space.
The centerpiece of PIG TOOL, the weathered leather torso, is a contemporary reimagining of an ancient waterskin—an object once crafted from the entire hide of a pig, hailing from the Faroe Islands. This relic of a bygone era is juxtaposed with zinc and acrylic sculptures inspired by tools that have since lost their relevance in our modern world.

“I’m curious about the tool, especially the tools that we don’t use anymore, because we have found new and more efficient ways of producing and interacting with the world, but also the tools that come from forgotten, or marginalised, crafts like thatching and such.” - Uffe Isolotto

This installation, shown in various iterations across locations like Venice, Copenhagen, and Riga, evokes visceral reactions from viewers. The fantastical/mythological figures are rendered with hyperreal tactility, transporting one to an 18th-century Danish farmhouse. Yet, the props and crops evoke a starkly futuristic feel.

“I try to use symbols that are recognisable and somehow universal - which often is some kind of body - so people have an entry into the work. Then I take them somewhere else. I change their context a bit to keep people curious about the rest of the narrative and then they are free to engage with the work, based on their own experiences. I have an idea of where I want to go with my narrative, but sometimes your story is just as good as mine, and I’m not going to take that away from you. I use images from our common image bank, process them and feed them back again, so they can enter our language and create new understandings. I see my work as part of a rhizome, a non-hierarchical system, where I’m connected to all these ideas and people and crafts.” (Interview by Julianna P for Coeval Magazine)

Isolotto encourages viewers to imbue his work with their own meanings, filling in narrative gaps he intentionally leaves open. In We Walked the Earth, viewers traverse a cinematic still, encountering reflections on our current condition humaine fraught with ecological, political, and existential anxieties. Concurrently, there’s an evident trepidation about the encroachment of technology and artificial intelligence.

“I see a longing in our time for a simpler living, and the glorification of the peasant life of yester-yestercentury or of off-Earth biosphere colonies are just two opposites of the same longing.” (Interview by Julianna P for Coeval Magazine)

Both the 18th-century Danish farmhouse in We Walked the Earth and the waterskin in PIG TOOL allude to simpler, pastoral times. For Jacobs’ Booth, Isolotto elevates the waterskin – traditionally a utilitarian object made from sheep or goat skin – to the realm of sculpture. The viewer is prompted to contemplate its context: Why is this object here? Who used it? Is it a relic of the past or a token from the future?

This inquiry mirrors the themes in We Walked the Earth, envisioning a posthuman future where humanity is no longer the universe's focal point, contending with AI's pervasiveness and escalating climate crises.

Isolotto elaborates on the posthuman state in We the Cool Magazine:

“It's a term we frequently discuss. I like to reflect on our history with technology – whether it's a rug, a stick, or any tools or interfaces connecting us to the world. That's technology, and nature is just us. We're not separate from nature; we are a part of it. This realization has become more pronounced in recent decades. I don't view things as opposites. Being post-human means considering ourselves not the center of the universe. I don't believe we'll ever transcend being human. We're constantly expanding and evolving. Conversations about robotics or AI may seem strange and fearful, but it's essentially a fear of ourselves.” (Interview by Karen Santos for We the Cool Magazine)

Uffe Isolotto is a Danish multidisciplinary artist renowned for his innovative exploration of physical and digital sculpture. His work probes the intricate relationship between the human body and technology, especially in an era where social media and artificial intelligence are increasingly embedded in our daily lives. Through his art, Isolotto interrogates what it means to be human in the 21st century, exploring how our bodies interact with both the physical and digital realms and how we perceive our bodies as they navigate, stress, move, reflect, escape, revel, and survive in this complex world.

Born in Denmark, Isolotto graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2007. He is based in Copenhagen and has showcased his work in numerous exhibitions both domestically and internationally, including prestigious venues such as Arken, Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Nikolaj Kunsthal, and Malmö Konsthall. His work is part of the collections at the National Gallery of Denmark and Holstebro Art Museum. In 2022, he gained significant recognition by representing Denmark at the Venice Biennale.

Isolotto co-runs the exhibition platform Age of Aquarius with his wife Nanna Starck, focusing on the interplay of biological and synthetic ecologies. Previously, he founded the artist collective TOVES, known for its unconventional journey from a bankrupt trading arcade to a symbolic sale to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Roskilde. Through these endeavors, Isolotto continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art, examining the evolving human experience in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

Download the exhibition text by
Maria Abramenko

UFFE ISOLOTTO

Selected by Maria Abramenko

31.08.2024

PIG TOOL

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A life-sized pig skin, weathered and evocative, leans against the wall amidst three fantastical zinc and acrylic sculptures—artifacts that seem to oscillate between ancient relics and divine instruments, perhaps plucked from the hands of Olympic gods. The scene is set in what resembles a dusty, abandoned shed, a space imbued with both desolation and mystery.
For Jacobs’ Booth’s second presentation, London-based curator, critic, and art editor Maria Abramenko has selected Danish artist Uffe Isolotto (°1976) to transform the space.
The centerpiece of PIG TOOL, the weathered leather torso, is a contemporary reimagining of an ancient waterskin—an object once crafted from the entire hide of a pig, hailing from the Faroe Islands. This relic of a bygone era is juxtaposed with zinc and acrylic sculptures inspired by tools that have since lost their relevance in our modern world.

“I’m curious about the tool, especially the tools that we don’t use anymore, because we have found new and more efficient ways of producing and interacting with the world, but also the tools that come from forgotten, or marginalised, crafts like thatching and such.” - Uffe Isolotto

Inquire

This installation, shown in various iterations across locations like Venice, Copenhagen, and Riga, evokes visceral reactions from viewers. The fantastical/mythological figures are rendered with hyperreal tactility, transporting one to an 18th-century Danish farmhouse. Yet, the props and crops evoke a starkly futuristic feel.

“I try to use symbols that are recognisable and somehow universal - which often is some kind of body - so people have an entry into the work. Then I take them somewhere else. I change their context a bit to keep people curious about the rest of the narrative and then they are free to engage with the work, based on their own experiences. I have an idea of where I want to go with my narrative, but sometimes your story is just as good as mine, and I’m not going to take that away from you. I use images from our common image bank, process them and feed them back again, so they can enter our language and create new understandings. I see my work as part of a rhizome, a non-hierarchical system, where I’m connected to all these ideas and people and crafts.” (Interview by Julianna P for Coeval Magazine)

Isolotto encourages viewers to imbue his work with their own meanings, filling in narrative gaps he intentionally leaves open. In We Walked the Earth, viewers traverse a cinematic still, encountering reflections on our current condition humaine fraught with ecological, political, and existential anxieties. Concurrently, there’s an evident trepidation about the encroachment of technology and artificial intelligence.

“I see a longing in our time for a simpler living, and the glorification of the peasant life of yester-yestercentury or of off-Earth biosphere colonies are just two opposites of the same longing.” (Interview by Julianna P for Coeval Magazine)

Both the 18th-century Danish farmhouse in We Walked the Earth and the waterskin in PIG TOOL allude to simpler, pastoral times. For Jacobs’ Booth, Isolotto elevates the waterskin – traditionally a utilitarian object made from sheep or goat skin – to the realm of sculpture. The viewer is prompted to contemplate its context: Why is this object here? Who used it? Is it a relic of the past or a token from the future?

This inquiry mirrors the themes in We Walked the Earth, envisioning a posthuman future where humanity is no longer the universe's focal point, contending with AI's pervasiveness and escalating climate crises.

Isolotto elaborates on the posthuman state in We the Cool Magazine:

“It's a term we frequently discuss. I like to reflect on our history with technology – whether it's a rug, a stick, or any tools or interfaces connecting us to the world. That's technology, and nature is just us. We're not separate from nature; we are a part of it. This realization has become more pronounced in recent decades. I don't view things as opposites. Being post-human means considering ourselves not the center of the universe. I don't believe we'll ever transcend being human. We're constantly expanding and evolving. Conversations about robotics or AI may seem strange and fearful, but it's essentially a fear of ourselves.” (Interview by Karen Santos for We the Cool Magazine)

Inquire

Uffe Isolotto is a Danish multidisciplinary artist renowned for his innovative exploration of physical and digital sculpture. His work probes the intricate relationship between the human body and technology, especially in an era where social media and artificial intelligence are increasingly embedded in our daily lives. Through his art, Isolotto interrogates what it means to be human in the 21st century, exploring how our bodies interact with both the physical and digital realms and how we perceive our bodies as they navigate, stress, move, reflect, escape, revel, and survive in this complex world.

Born in Denmark, Isolotto graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2007. He is based in Copenhagen and has showcased his work in numerous exhibitions both domestically and internationally, including prestigious venues such as Arken, Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Nikolaj Kunsthal, and Malmö Konsthall. His work is part of the collections at the National Gallery of Denmark and Holstebro Art Museum. In 2022, he gained significant recognition by representing Denmark at the Venice Biennale.

Isolotto co-runs the exhibition platform Age of Aquarius with his wife Nanna Starck, focusing on the interplay of biological and synthetic ecologies. Previously, he founded the artist collective TOVES, known for its unconventional journey from a bankrupt trading arcade to a symbolic sale to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Roskilde. Through these endeavors, Isolotto continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art, examining the evolving human experience in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

Inquire

Download the exhibition text by
Maria Abramenko

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