Conscious Matter

Conscious Matter is a large-scale sculptural installation centered around matter and human consciousness. Using industrial and archaeological materials like rock, iron cores, and steel bars, the work highlights the inherent beauty of matter. By using these found materials and recontextualizing them, Kalsmose aligns herself with the Arte Povera movement. The structure, resembling a multi-storey cell or an inner prison, incorporates iron dust, ore stones, pigments, and blood from Kalsmose's father. It evokes the alchemical process and explores the concept of Conscious Matter, where humanity is decentered and a reality beyond mere matter is revealed.

The installation raises underground materials toward the sky, creating space for interconnectedness. Iron, an element found both in nature and within the human body, holds significant meaning in alchemy for self-insight, as it gathers layers of consciousness. Heavy iron chains and delicate cotton threads wrap the hexagon-shaped structure, creating associations with the threads of human fate – the life cord spun by the Norns in the Nordic mythology.

Conscious Matter questions life, death, and our ties in life to our selves and others, exploring the non-linearity of existence. This work exemplifies a fusion of conceptual subtlety and tangible materials, suggesting that the conceptual and tangible enrich each other, pointing to a realm beyond visible materiality.