Open Creation and its Enemies

Asger Jorn in situation | Institut Valencià d’Art Modern (IVAM), Valencia | 16 februari – 18 juni

Asger Jorn was a Danish artist and writer who played a vital role in the formation of the CoBrA art movement in the late 1940s. His artistic and intellectual contributions to the movement, as well as his lifelong commitment to open creation, are currently on display at the Institut Valencià d’Art Modern (IVAM) in Valencia.

The exhibition, titled “Open Creation and its Enemies: Asger Jorn in Situation,” runs from February 16th to June 18th, and offers a comprehensive overview of Jorn’s work, both as an artist and a writer. The exhibition showcases a diverse selection of Jorn’s works, including paintings, sculptures, and prints, as well as a range of his writings, from essays and manifestos to poetry and novels.

One of the central themes of the exhibition is Jorn’s belief in open creation, which he saw as a rejection of the traditional hierarchical structures of art and culture. For Jorn, open creation meant an end to the separation between the artist and the viewer, as well as the democratization of artistic production. In Jorn’s view, art should be created by everyone, for everyone, and should be accessible to all.

Jorn’s commitment to open creation put him at odds with many of his contemporaries, who saw his ideas as radical and subversive. Jorn was a vocal critic of the commercialization of art and the commodification of culture, and he believed that true art could only be created outside of the constraints of the market.

The exhibition at IVAM highlights Jorn’s lifelong commitment to these ideals, showcasing a range of his works that demonstrate his interest in collaborative and collective creation, as well as his exploration of non-traditional materials and techniques. Jorn’s experiments with collage, printmaking, and sculpture reveal a deep interest in the transformative power of art and its potential to challenge the dominant culture.

Overall, “Open Creation and its Enemies: Asger Jorn in Situation” offers a fascinating glimpse into the life and work of one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Jorn’s commitment to open creation, and his rejection of traditional hierarchical structures, make him a particularly relevant figure in today’s cultural landscape, where the democratization of art and culture remains a pressing concern.