GOING METAL · Simone Aaberg Kaern & Kim Lykke collaboration

Reasons to be Cheerful series, 12, 70 x 50 cm black and white Ciclee prints on archival paper, liquid texture of metalized gold foil and embossed varnish. Printed, signed and numbered in a limited edition of ten prints.

This series are, made specifically for a show at the DCC,(Danish Cultural Center) 798 International Arts District in Beijing.

The prints are inspired by traditional Chinese Objects in lacquer, chiefly from the state of Chu and from Sichuan, that depict hunting scenes, chariots and horsemen, and fantastic winged creatures drawn from folklore and painted in a simple but lively style. The intricate decoration on these objects reflects the increasing complexity of techniques used in lacquer production.

The suppression of colour is a common feature in Chinese and Far Eastern aesthetics. Influenced by the Taoist and Confucian philosophical doctrines, the black, white and gold colour system goes beyond an artistic style and resembles a state of contemplation which invites to unity with nature.

The Reasons to be Cheerful series depict a future human existence that is no longer confined to Earth but unfolds in self-created worlds, tiny biotopes that enables human to travel freely through air, into outer space and distant galaxies.
Each of the biotopes is illustrated in a simple but lively style in a two-dimensional pattern made by metalized gold foil and embossed varnish, featuring ubiquitous flying machines taking off from floating islands, with soft floral forms, trees and roots. The Reasons to be Cheerful series evoke scenarios about the future and not the past. We are close to speculative fiction, a genre that sets up pure thought experiments and models for the future.