The work of Niels Holk Hartnack is a puzzling trifecta of childlike curiosity, inanimate items, and forgotten riddlebabble of mystery schools. Through a versatile catalogue of mediums; ranging from classical sculptural materials to more playful, unconventional and computer-based elements, he investigates the logic of ownership, validity of possession, and assignation of value. Bootstrapped with a heightened predisposition to pattern recognition and repetition as a trademark of operating, he speed-runs the framework that governs our world; leaving behind a body of work, that is testimonial to the potency and feebleness of language and symbols, where questions overshadow answers to a notably large degree. Yet somehow, the reverse-engineered absurdities of this reality peddler still manage to nourish our understanding and supercharge our non-verbal vocabulary. Is the lottery really used by government agencies to screen for time travelers and is it true, that our moon is a soul-harvesting unit? Do words become spells when we spell them? It’s not unlikely and it’s a mind-boggling thing to ponder while residing on this spinning waterball.

Niels Holk Hartnack obtained a Master’s Degree from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2023.
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