CECILIA ÖMALM KRAJCIKOVA, Malmaison, Aug 30 - Sept 29 2007
PRESS RELEASE
We are proud to open the new season with the exhibition Malmaison by Cecilia Omalm Krajcikova.
Malmaison is an on-going project consisting today of seven black-and-white digital collages. The images depict peculiar and detailed palace interiors. The titel comes from Malmaison-palace that belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte; literally translated it means ”evil house”. Omalm Krajcikovas meticulous collages do not represent any real place though. Her Malmaison is an exquisite dream of evil, as experienced in novels by Marquis de Sade, Horace Walpole, Lewis Carrol, CS Lewis, Vladimir Nabokov and John Fowles. The mood in
the black-and-white palace is dark and menacing; the rooms and halls are empty but extravagantly decorated. The decor dominating Malmaison’s elaborately painted ceilings, richly patterned wallpaper and floors, luxurious window bars and carved doors, is condensed and twisted. The palace transforms into a living evil creature which
lends itself as a set up for the darkest of fantasies.
Most of the details in the imaginary palace’s interiors are authentic since the collages are based on mostly historical originals, found through extensive research. Pieces of architectural drawings, sketches, books on decor and illustrations from 18th and 19th century are scanned and distorted. An exciting feature of the works is their ability to disguise as older ink drawings or etchings. The architectural proportions are not always followed, neither is the chronology of the interior details. The wide open rooms of Malmaison are an architectural and design historical puzzle for the educated viewer.
Cecilia Ömalm Krajcikova is born 1974 and lives and works in Stockholm. The artist is self-taught with an exception of the one-year course in photography at ICP in New York. In October 2007 the artist’s first public work will be unveiled at Hammarby Art Port, Stockholm.
For further information and visuals please contact the gallery.
Gallery hours: wed – fri 12 – 6 pm; sat 12- 4 pm.
