In this exhibition, Lukas Malte Hoffmann has worked with promises as his thematic starting point. The sculptural entity constitutes a personal task in which Hoffmann focuses on the unwritten, yet fundamental forces that guide him in his everyday life and work. He puts the spotlight on promises as turning points or milestones in life. Hoffmann has thought about how the promises that we make occasionally become visible and accessible, only to become invisible once again. One idea underpinning the exhibition is how promises can also be embodied in objects, which can then give direction and meaning.

The exhibition consists of settings for these objects and the associated promises. Hoffmann works with a variety of materials, including metal, textiles, and rope that he has made himself. The material qualities play a central role in each individual work, while the overall look of the exhibition has been inspired by playful, graphical lines. These sculptures have the two-dimensionality of a picture, while their contour lines and flat surfaces also have spatial qualities.

A common way to talk about the future is through theories, estimates, forecasts and probability calculations, so that, with the knowledge and experience that we have accumulated, we can technically create an idea of what is to come. But, when we are dreaming of future paths that we might take to strengthen our social bonds and human communities, promises play a key role. Hoffmann points to the way that promises are deeply rooted in us as individuals; in our identities and emotional lives. We use them to bind ourselves to events and processes that have already happened, are ongoing, or that can or will happen.

The artworks in the exhibition are optimistic, and depict states and visions that take place over time. Hoffmann looks both backwards and forwards in time simultaneously, focusing on things that he holds – and has held – near and dear. The work It lasts forever and then it’s over, a small heart made of metal, has first been given its finished form and then split in its parts, and, finally, it has been loosely laced together with rope. Inevitably, this puts our promises to the test, and so it is important that we are able to look back on ourselves with empathy and affection. Connecting with our own and others’ innermost dreams helps us to face up to and navigate on an emotional level, and to listen to what drives us as individuals, not just in joy, but also in sadness. Some promises endure and live on amid change, while others stagnate, peter out, and come to an end. The one constant in life is time and the way that it advances beyond reach of our reason. Nevertheless, being sensitive to the emotions that exist in close contact with our promises can sustain us, not just in ourselves, but in a community where we can rely on and trust one another.

– Markus Åström