Interview by Highly Dazed
Represents for Floskl: Cecilie Sylvest-Carlsen / Tine Andersen / Katrine Damgaard
Floskl is a small and humble gallery combined atelier that embraces the Nørrebro atmosphere, functioning as a playground and platform for young artists, giving them the opportunity to showcase their work. Highly Dazed visited Floskl and had a nice talk with three young artists.
How did Floskl start out? Cecilie: I think it’s about two years ago, in 2009. Katrine and I first met at Roskilde University, where we both were in the lookout for an atelier or workspace. We saw a notice at Tjili Pop Café saying the gallery Floskl was looking for new members. At that time there were 7 other members – we were quite many at that time. January 2009.
So, none of you were there from the beginning? Cecilie: No, but we know the people who started it all. The first exhibition was held in January 2009 and we joined in Marts, but since then there have been some replacements. But now we have a good tight crew and good things are starting to happen.
How would you describe Floskl? Cecilie: The purpose of Floskl is that we have a young spirited profile very “Nørrebro”. None of us attend definite Art schools, so it’s not a demand to have an artistic educational background. It’s very different what we all are doing in our daily lives. There’s room for the members to express themselves with all thinkable arts. At the same time, we invite outside-artists, preferably other young people like us, to come and exhibit there own works for 10 days. We want to be a platform open for others to take use of, no matter how little or how much experience one has.
Does it cost anything for the 10 days of exhibition? Cecilie: Yes, 1000 DDK for 10 days and then we help with the PR and the preview.
What’s the story behind the name Floskl? Katrine: An earlier member had a dream where it appeared. Previously Floskl was called “Det Hemmelige Galleri” (The Secret Gallery), but another place had the same name, therefore we decided to change it. It’s the Danish word “floskel”, meaning platitudes, clichés or a kind of “empty talking”. Only changed to Floskl – it was not the meaning of the word we were interested in, but rather the letters that are quite graphical and visually satisfying.
Do you have a blog or a website? Katrine: Right now we’re working on a new website, so it’s in the process – as well as our Cargo Collective page.
Have there been any hurdles on the way? Katrine: There has been a difference in people’s intentions for the place, but we feel that it has come together now. We have a good combination of people with likewise unanimity.
Cecilie: That’s a good way to put it. Katrine and I and some of the other girls have for a long time thought about Floskl being both a atelier combined with a gallery, rather than being one big atelier. We wanted to take advantage of the fact that we have a location that faces the street, where many people passes by.
Katrine: ..and we want the place to look welcoming, so people wants to step inside.
Do you often have people stopping by? Cecilie: Yes we do! We think that’s really awesome, but it’s not as often as we would like it to be. There’s not that many who dares, but we’re working on it, for instance we have the sign outside and some opening hours.
How do you promote yourselves? Cecilie: It’s mainly through our own network. We’re seven different people with seven different circles of friends. Facebook is probably our most used platform. We have also been talking about making some flyers to place at different cafés and so on.
Are you targeting a specific group of people? Cecilie: No, we are open towards all kinds of people, we don’t want to close any doors. But most people who come here have an interest in art in some way. So we already have a wide net of contacts. People are good at spreading the words.
Tine: A new thing we have started is to make video invitations to our exhibitions. They are on our Facebook page.
What has it meant to each of you having joined Floskl? Tine: Well, I recently joined in November, and I think it’s great to have a place to work instead of sitting at home where there can be a lot of distractions. Everybody is making different things, so there’re no restrictions for what you can or can’t do. It has been really easy to join.
Katrine: For me, the best thing has been to exhibit my works. I don’t think I would have exhibited anything if it wasn’t for Floskl, I definitely wouldn’t have seek it out myself. But now when you have the walls for it, it’s fun to try it out. It’s nice with the common exhibitions because everybody brings something different to the place.
Cecilie: I was used to having a studio at Krabbesholm Højskole, so I missed having that space or office. You get a different kind of inspiration not sitting in your bedroom, where you sleep and eat. Like Katrine said, it makes a big difference being in an inspirational environment where people have the same interest. It means a lot. We want to get Floskl on the map, so it becomes a place people recognize and know that we are the people behind.
Can people come in from the street and buy your pieces? Cecilie: It’s individual from member to member, the artist decides whether he or she wants to sell or not. If people ask for a price we put them in contact with the regarding artist. It’s kind of a bonus, it’s not meant for the members to make big bucks.
Do you know any other places similar to Floskl? Cecilie: Naturally, there are a lot of ateliers around in the city, but not really a place with the combination of a gallery and atelier and that’s why we feel we have something unique in Floskl.
What are your plans for the future? Katrine: Right now, there have been a lot of things happening in a short period of time. It’s great that it’s a continuously development, we’re never done and there’s not a picture-perfect place we want reach.
Cecilie: We have discussed the possibility of having a monthly exhibition, which can be either members from Floskl or artists from the outside.
What’s the next exhibition? Cecilie: We have a previous member, Pernille, who is showing her works from the 18th of February to the 26th of February. Otherwise we have an updated calendar on our Facebook page. We have a permanent collection showing a selection of works from all of Floskl’s members, which is hanging in the time space between the exhibitions.
If you want to keep updated with all the things Floskl is doing, here’s how to..
Facebook Page
mail / ceciliesylvestcarlsen@hotmail.com
At Cargo Collective / Cecilie Sylvest Carlsen / Tine Andersen / Zarina Linddahl
ArtRebels Shop / Cecilie Sylvest Carlsen
Floskl’s opening hours / Thursday&Friday : 16.00-19.00 / Saturday: 11.00-15.00 / Otherwise knock on the door if someone is in there.
Address / Rantzausgade 16 / 2200 København N.
So next time you pass by Floskl, go in and check out all the works by the aspiring and inspiring young artists.
Happy Tuesday – love Highly Dazed
