Isabella Chydenius

Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Artist statement

Artist Statement Isabella Chydenius is a interdisciplinary artist based in Berlin and Helsinki. Chydenius graduated from a Master of Fine Art degree at the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town, in April 2021, and has since located to Berlin after 15 years of living in Paris, London, Cape Town and LA. // Chydenius practice explores the night and underground nightclub culture as spaces of togetherness, momentary freedom and joy away from the heteropatriarchal square norms of the day. In her artistic research she explores the history of queer underground nightclubs as sites of resistance and draws attention to how they may serve as a catalyst for change in society through the dialogue between art, artists and socio-political movements. She is interested in the club space as a metaphor and abject, and approaches them as small microcosms within larger society. Her recent exhibitions 'Hide and seek' and 'Notes on creating space; the potential of club corners' specifically focus on the potential of darkness in club spaces that aim to be safer spaces. In her work, she interprets queer theorists ideas of darkness as a queer aesthetic and framing tool of making something visible, or left unseen by the ones who don't know what to look for (Halberstam, J., Brooks, D., Love, H., and more). Her practice combines mediums such as light, video, sound, text, photography, ripped clothes and found objects to create sculptures and immersive installations. Her work has...

Artwork