Nina Beier Explores the Hidden Biographies of Everyday Objects

Objects speak, according to Danish visual artist Nina Beier. Regardless of its social or intended status, to Beier, a fake designer bag is both real in the physical sense and a representation of another, similar to a readymade sculpture. Trained initially in photography, it's through this lens that Beier observes the various objects, whether extravagant or mundane, that inundate the world.

On view at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki, Beier presents Parts, a new solo exhibition exploring the stories embedded in (literally) every thing — be it a ceramic work of art, a Land Rover or a plastic container. Showcasing new and existing works, Beier explores the hidden biographies of everyday items, such as in China (2015): a series of purposefully broken fine china ceramic vessels of various dog breeds and ornate vases. Several are made in China, while others in Italy — each pictorially mimicking each other and subtly hinting at the global markets and trade routes hidden under the surface.

Take any object lying around, there is a hidden backstory layered within its production — from the materials extracted to the workers manufacturing the goods, the transportation of objects to countless owners that will come in possession of the object until its destruction. "In this way, all objects are bound up with the global economy and with inter-personal and inter-species power relations," wrote Kiasma in a statement. "Beier collects objects that have been shaped cumulatively over the course of time and place. Along the way, they acquire symbolic value, which is renegotiated over time."

Nina Beier: Parts will be on view in Helsinki until September 8, 2024.

Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma
Mannerheiminaukio 2,
00100 Helsinki, Finland

A post shared by Nykytaiteen museo Kiasma (@kiasmamuseum)

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Nina Beier Explores the Hidden Biographies of Everyday Objects

Nina Beier Explores the Hidden Biographies of Everyday Objects

Nina Beier Explores the Hidden Biographies of Everyday Objects

Nina Beier Explores the Hidden Biographies of Everyday Objects

Nina Beier Explores the Hidden Biographies of Everyday Objects