Tove Kjellmark: The Horse, the Robot & the Immeasureable

Tove Kjellmark’s solo exhibition The Horse, the Robot & the Immeasurable includes sculpture, video and drawing. The exhibition will be on display in the Halli exhibition space at the Seinäjoki Kunsthalle from 7.9.2024 to 4.1.2025. Previously, The Horse, the Robot & the Immeasurable has been exhibited at Färgfabriken in Stockholm in 2022. In Seinäjoki, new works will be presented in addition. The Seinäjoki Kunsthalle exhibition space Halli, with its stark industrial architecture and rich history, provides a striking backdrop for the delicate, detailed works on display.

The Horse, the Robot & the Immeasurable is a profound exploration of the deep, silent wisdom of the horse. The exhibition reflects on the way a horse can guide us—not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well. This exhibition is a tribute to the horse as a being as well as a reflection on the transformative potential of the horse.

Horses, being prey animals, are highly attuned to nonverbal cues. The horse is able to mirror human emotions, offering immediate feedback that can help individuals develop greater self-awareness and emotional regulation. At the heart of this exhibition are questions that go beyond the physical: Are horses sensitive, highly evolved beings, nurturing and gently guiding us, waiting for us to awaken to the wisdom they so patiently hold? These reflections are expressed through a collection of marble and bronze sculptures, video works, and drawings, which all converge in a dialogue between the organic and the mechanical, the past and the future. The emotional depth of the project is underscored by Kjellmark’s personal reaction to the loss of a cherished horse, a bond that she explores in the haunting video work They Shoot Horses, Don’t They.

Kjellmark’s sculptures appear as fragmented still images—movements frozen into physical echoes. These works evoke a sense of decaying memories or lives that first emerge and then dissipate, transforming into something new. In her video works, Kjellmark focuses on the horse’s movement, sound, warmth, and presence, creating a vivid tribute to the animal as both a companion and guide.

Horses and people have a long, multifaceted history together. The horse has been a vital companion, tool and instrument for humans for thousands of years. Kjellmark’s works provoke reflection on our relationships with animals and machines, challenging the anthropocentric worldview that often dominates our understanding of these relationships.

Originally trained as a sculptor, Kjellmark’s artistic work combines traditional sculpture and digital technology in a versatile way. In her art, realistic sculpture with traditional materials, like bronze and marble, meets new technologies in the forms of robotics, artificial intelligence, various measuring devices, thermal imaging and motion capture. Kjellmark calls it ”Another Nature”, a Nature that includes everything and all their dimensions.

Kjellmark’s philosophical roots run deep in the exploration of non-verbal communication, emotional intelligence, and the interconnectedness of all life. This exhibition is not only a celebration of the horse but also a poignant critique of our relationship with the non-human world, inviting us to reconsider our place within a rapidly advancing technological landscape.