Drafts of Ecology/ Psyche Interior

Theodor Nymark

At Udstillingsstedet Q, the exhibition space of The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

October 22 — 26, 2021

Photography by Sophus Wolf

The Cast:
Psyche: born (year undisclosed) to Greek parents with royal ties (according to the rumors). Those same whispers croon of a sight for sore eyes, and none seem to have dared to steal more than a glance at her. She was last seen, in tears, alone on a mountain peak; her current whereabouts are unknown.

 

Myself: The author.

 

Time: Today.

 

Place: The pleasure house of some god.

 

You might, as I, wonder about the choice of furniture. Interiors are questions of acquired, if not purely personal, taste—and who knows about the preferences of gods. There should be no kink shame, green is a lovely color with so many properties. Nature! Progress! Rebirth! No, I’m not tempted to mention that other obvious one, so human in nature (there it is again!).
The grass is always greener, and what is life without desire and its flipside. Like other things in this house not easily kept, it has a tendency to rub off.

 

So, I warn: Be careful with the green you see. Small environments that stick to me, sometimes leaving my fingers damp and sweet to touch with a tongue.
Temperature is of dire importance here; wind, weather, the will of the current, the rays of the sun. You stifle your soon to be burning passion for the lowest of mankind, staying still surrounded by cabinets of containment.

 

Think of them as tokens of your own. Let yourself sit and be served. In ancient holy books, I find prosperity and abundance in my search for nectar. It is a sacred gift, both wild and domesticated, always luxurious and sweet. Surely delight can be dangerous, I feel the temptation lurking at every corner to let myself go in favor of earthly pleasures.
What did he put in this wine?

 

Maybe I’ve changed my mind. I’m exhausted by the ruinous demands of our hearts. Can’t we flee as we did from the ash of the torches extinguished by your father’s weeping?
The need to fly in the face of any and every thing doesn’t necessarily mean freedom, though I heard you were a mortal lover and a serpent that bites with one or both eyes closed can look like the sweetest of beasts.

 

Dearest Psyche, have you found out how the monster isn’t hiding under your bed, though he still hides in the dark? Not only kind things come with wings, a plague does too. Alas, to be a human lover. Like holding matches to a forest fire, I imagine someone trying to catch you. At least he deems you worthy of hanging on the wall.
Did I forget to mention that Nabokov was a well-known collector of butterflies?

 

Lepidopterist, light of my life, fire of my burning blaze. No one told me to be careful with your hot wax, your drop of oil, and I adore you to distraction. A touch of skin by trembling lashes—might I, clinging, catch wings by proxy, if only for a second. He wants what will also mean the very death of me. Or the becoming something else and more.
Maybe the wild grass. For who says anything ends at dying. You can try to close your fist.

 

See, I told you I was a no-good human.

— Caroline Marie Ballegaard

 

Theodor Nymark Title: The Mesh Year: 2021 Materials: IKEA IVAR dinner table set with chairs dyed with spirulina, aroma diffuser with Monster Energy Paradise, bluetooth speaker with custom soundtrack, custom box dyed with spirulina for natural wine, custom box dyed with spirulina for IKEA wine glasses, IKEA CYLINDER vases with water pearls and flowers from Aldi.
Theodor Nymark Title: The Mesh Year: 2021 Materials: IKEA IVAR dinner table set with chairs dyed with spirulina, aroma diffuser with Monster Energy Paradise, bluetooth speaker with custom soundtrack, custom box dyed with spirulina for natural wine, custom box dyed with spirulina for IKEA wine glasses, IKEA CYLINDER vases with water pearls and flowers from Aldi.
Theodor Nymark Title: The Mesh Year: 2021 Materials: IKEA IVAR dinner table set with chairs dyed with spirulina, aroma diffuser with Monster Energy Paradise, bluetooth speaker with custom soundtrack, custom box dyed with spirulina for natural wine, custom box dyed with spirulina for IKEA wine glasses, IKEA CYLINDER vases with water pearls and flowers from Aldi.
Theodor Nymark Title: The Mesh Year: 2021 Materials: IKEA IVAR dinner table set with chairs dyed with spirulina, aroma diffuser with Monster Energy Paradise, bluetooth speaker with custom soundtrack, custom box dyed with spirulina for natural wine, custom box dyed with spirulina for IKEA wine glasses, IKEA CYLINDER vases with water pearls and flowers from Aldi.
Installation view, PsycheInterior
Installation view, PsycheInterior
Installation view, PsycheInterior
Theodor Nymark Title: Psyche Interior — Cabinet. 3 Year: 2021 Materials: Bookcase, LED light, laser engraved plexiglas, magnetic butterflies, carabiners, hand-cut aluminum, dyed bolts, ornamented shelf brackets and custom electrical cord. Contents: Hair of a Lagotto Romagnolo(truffle/marsh dog) wrapped in scoby leather and silk ribbon.
Theodor Nymark Title: Psyche Interior — Cabinet. 3 Year: 2021 Materials: Bookcase, LED light, laser engraved plexiglas, magnetic butterflies, carabiners, hand-cut aluminum, dyed bolts, ornamented shelf brackets and custom electrical cord. Contents: Hair of a Lagotto Romagnolo(truffle/marsh dog) wrapped in scoby leather and silk ribbon.
Theodor Nymark Title: Psyche Interior — Cabinet. 1 Year: 2021 Materials: Bookcase, LED light, laser engraved plexiglas, magnetic butterflies, carabiners, ornamented shelf brackets and custom electrical cord. Contents: Deer bone wrapped in bubblewrap & empty Monster Energy Hydra with attached silicone bracelets.
Theodor Nymark Title: Psyche Interior — Cabinet. 2 Year: 2021 Materials: Bookcase, LED light, laser engraved plexiglas, magnetic butterflies, carabiners, ornamented shelf brackets and custom electrical cord. Contents: Dried mandarins.
Installation view, PsycheInterior
Installation view, PsycheInterior
Theodor Nymark Title: The Archive: Year: 2021 Model for Environment Materials: IKEA KNUFF Magazineholder, Spirulina, magnetic paint, modelling bush, modelling figure - on custom plinth. Recherche et Fantaisie Materials: IKEA KNUFF Magazineholder, Spirulina, magnetic paint, magnetic butterflies, archival research material, colored glossy paper, plastic dog mask - on custom plinth. Beastial Rehearsal Materials: IKEA KNUFF Magazineholder, Spirulina, magnetic paint, magnetic butterflies, varied fur scraps - on custom plinth. Palissade Materials: IKEA KNUFF Magazineholder, Spirulina, magnetic paint, magnetic butterflies, dried pacay fruit, paper scraps, colored glossy paper, portable ashtray from Magaluf, volcanic rock - on custom plinth with magnetic butterflies.
Theodor Nymark Title: The Archive: Year: 2021 Model for Environment Materials: IKEA KNUFF Magazineholder, Spirulina, magnetic paint, modelling bush, modelling figure - on custom plinth. Recherche et Fantaisie Materials: IKEA KNUFF Magazineholder, Spirulina, magnetic paint, magnetic butterflies, archival research material, colored glossy paper, plastic dog mask - on custom plinth. Beastial Rehearsal Materials: IKEA KNUFF Magazineholder, Spirulina, magnetic paint, magnetic butterflies, varied fur scraps - on custom plinth. Palissade Materials: IKEA KNUFF Magazineholder, Spirulina, magnetic paint, magnetic butterflies, dried pacay fruit, paper scraps, colored glossy paper, portable ashtray from Magaluf, volcanic rock - on custom plinth with magnetic butterflies.
Installation view, PsycheInterior
Theodor Nymark Title: Bulletin. 4 Year: 2021 Materials: Magnetic butterflies & paper cutout from cartoon attached to iron plate.
Theodor Nymark Title: Bulletin. 5 Year: 2021 Materials: Magnetic butterflies, magnets, receipt from Uniqlo & Wunderbar attached to iron plate.
Theodor Nymark Title: Bulletin. 2 Year: 2021 Materials: Magnetic butterflies & watercolor on paper attached to iron plate.
Theodor Nymark Title: Bulletin. 2 Year: 2021 Materials: Magnetic butterflies & watercolor on paper attached to iron plate.
Theodor Nymark Title: Bulletin. 1 Year: 2021 Materials: Magnetic butterflies & businesscard from Le Gourmand with stain from MDMA purification testkit attached to iron plate.
Theodor Nymark Title: Bulletin. 3 Year: 2021 Materials: Magnetic butterflies, paper cutouts, cyanotype, manual from beehive decoy & label from Paw Patrol sleeping bag attached to iron plate.
Theodor Nymark Title: Bulletin. 2 Year: 2021 Materials: Magnetic butterflies & watercolor on paper attached to iron plate.
Theodor Nymark Title: Bulletin. 2 Year: 2021 Materials: Magnetic butterflies & watercolor on paper attached to iron plate.
Theodor Nymark Title: Bulletin. 2 Year: 2021 Materials: Magnetic butterflies & watercolor on paper attached to iron plate.