SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH TEXT Livsaldre ... - katrine borup

100: Tåmærke
I vores del af verden dør de fleste gamle på hospital eller plejehjem og er derfor underlagt de
rutiner, man af praktiske grunde har disse steder. På hospitalerne mærkes den døde krop for
eksempel typisk med et såkaldt tåmærke, hvorpå man noterer dødstidspunktet og afdødes
navn og personnummer. Livsaldres ”Tåmærke” består af 100 fotografier, et for hvert år den
100-årige har levet. Hvor hospitalernes tåmærker anonymiserer den afdøde, tegner ”Tåmærke”
et billede af et levet liv. ”Tåmærke” er forbundet med ”Identitetsarmbånd”, og begge refererer
til den næsten rituelle dokumentation ved fotografering, vi benytter os af igennem livet.
Life Stages (05)
"Life Stages" is an exhibition project inspired by an old image of life – the so-called life stairs.
Since the Renaissance, the progression of life has been depicted as a stairs, and from the 18th
century, the life stairs was a popular image that might be present as a print, drawing or embroidery
in many homes. Typically, people would receive a life stairs image in connection with
one of the milestones in life, like births or weddings.
The 11 pieces of jewellery in "Life Stages" illustrate some characteristic features associated
with being 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 years old. The jewellery resembles
the signs, symbols or props that are used to mark the person's age in many of the old representations
of life stairs, such as a high hat and a cane. The jewellery is placed on 11 podiums
that form an ascending and descending staircase. The podium steps of "Life stages" are dimensioned
in relation to the human body, the podium heights dictating the objects' placement
on the body: For example, for the 50-year-old, I created an object for the head, because the
50-year-old is at the top step, at head height. For the 100-year-old I did a piece of toe jewellery,
because the 100-year-old is placed by the outside edge on one of the lowest steps, at toe
height; and so forth. The skin-coloured podiums stand in for the absent body, exhibiting the
jewellery at the appropriate body height and forming a three-dimensional life stairs (picture
19/19).
0: Identity Bracelet
1/19
Photo paper and silver
"Identity Bracelet" reflects the fact that most children in our part of the world are born in a
hospital. "Identity Bracelet" resembles the standard armband that is used to mark newborn
babies in many hospitals, but unlike the hospital plastic bracelets this one is made of photo
paper and silver. The white photo paper gives the impression that the bracelet is open to individual
imprints. The bracelet indicates that we are simultaneously unique individuals and examples
among billions of fellow humans. Furthermore, the materials used for "Identity Bracelet"
suggest that we are products of the culture that we live in. In our culture, it is common to
take photographs, and the events that we photograph are largely the same. It is also common
to mark the importance of selected moments with gifts of valuable jewellery, often with names
and dates engraved. The gold writing on the back of "Identity Bracelet" mimics these engravings.
10: Ups-a-daisy
2/19, 3/19
Adhesive plaster, silver and elastic
"Ups-a-daisy” is a set of "knee pads" made of adhesive plaster. They are inspired by children's
often high level of activity but also acknowledge the belief that scraping one's knees is a necessary
part of life. Children apparently know this, as they constantly seek new challenges,
throwing themselves headlong into life with a determination, power and energy that are fasci-