Image courtesy of Malene Heerup

Luca Curci talks with artist Malene Heerup during Liquid Rooms – The Body Language exhibition in Venice on November 2015.

Born into a family filled with Danish and internationally renowned artists. Malene Heerup grew up with an innate ability to observe subtext, details and motifs. While living in NYC and attending the famous Parsons School of Design Malene found her artistic identity through the influence of the city, which included hard work and confidence in transcendence. Malene is a prolific artist, producing many works of art each year.

Luca Curci – Can you talk about your personal experience in Venice? What did you think about the whole organization of the event, the artists’ selection, the communication management and opening nights?

Malene Heerup – I couldn’t make it to Venice, but I can talk about my experience from my point of view and the organization It’s Liquid together with Ca ‘Zarnardi/Venice Art House. There are a lot of charm and experimentation going on in this organization, when they asked me to join, I was a little confused in a good way, about the idea behind the expos that Liquid Rooms are organizing. I can only say that I am happy that I followed my guts and jumped right in since I love the idea of experimentation with different expressions of artistic experiences and the fact that so many nationalities join these expos. I looked at photos from their other expos, and found it interesting. I find the location for this Expo, an old “castle/palace” wonderful especially combined with contemporary action and art, history is in the walls.

Image courtesy of Malene Heerup

The fact that they create international meetings between artists and people coming from all over I find refreshing and open, I like open, I like meetings, I like international meetings, we need them. Being a part of the Expo “Body Languages”, is always interesting for me as a painter, an universal topic. I have seen photos from the expo and I wish I could have been there with my body…beautiful place, beautiful art, performers and people.

L. C. –  Can you talk about the artwork you presented in Venice? How is it linked with the festival’s theme?

M. H. – The theme of this expo being “Body Language” I thought I would send a piece of work representing “bodies”. The artwork  is a painting 215×135 cm, oil on canvas called “United, Tango in Berlin” it could have been Paris…. NY, Venice.. everywhere, since the inspiration here is the  symbolic meeting between 2 bodies, the sensuality, the love of moving with no words in a dance of motion and emotion. I was in Berlin, went to a dance floor with friends right next to all the museums in Berlin at the museum island. Like being in another time.. they had spots on the floor and my friends  were tango dancers, some from Argentina…they explained to me how the woman gives a sign from her body to be picked up by the man, and he gently move the way she shows him coming from the heart. I always thought the man was the leading part, I was feeling the movements, the concentration, and the deep meetings taking place, like lovers on the dance floor. Inspiration is a funny thing but I was drawing and painting a lot of dancers, from then on..I always seem to be inspired by movement and meetings, life when it is lived. Dancing is to me a symbol of the finest communication since the words are not in the way, and symbolizes the willingness to feel, and expose.. the body is our castle. Somehow I think the motive of my painting of 2 dancers hanging on the walls in a Venetian castle looks like they come out of the walls dancing into the future. Funny.

Image courtesy of Malene Heerup

L. C. – What are you currently working on?

M. H. – Well that is a big question, on a deep level I will know later, in the future.
when I am in a process I feel like a scientist looking for answers, I guess it reflects where I am in my life. Very concretely, I can say that I am working on stage design for Grammy Award winning musicians Rachel Z and Omar Hakim from NY, this is a love project, life, music, creativity and working on something for and with other artist where it really becomes a multimedia show, moveable images,trying to create something new. I work with a designer from Barcelona on a video to be exposed behind the musicians on their next tour, working on graphic art, artwork for the tour etc. I am also working on a project where I will go more into the 2d to 3d with my art, creating sculpture, usable sculpture,  work with architects and designers, I have visions based on my use of form, color and the idea of creating room. I see my artwork/paintings as 3d in 2d form. I want to be part of creating livable spaces with soft objects and colors, that together will “give” experiences that effect the mind and body.

L. C. – What is art for you?

M. H. – Art is a feeling, a vibration and can’t really be explained with words. Art is culture, art is the opposite of materialism, art is feelings expressed. Liquid.