Art Labor 2.0 held a opening party this past Saturday for Denmark-based artist Per Adolfsen solo exhibition, "The Imaginary Eden of Mr. Adolfsen," which runs til June 18. Adolfsen’s work is Nordic / Scandinavian contemporary art, and each piece has a certain dark element reminiscent of the industrial revolution, littered with pipe and power lines and factory chimneys emitting smoke. In a painting entitled Merry Christmas, Mr. Adolfsen, an obscure, dark figure with nails atop his skull a la Pinhead from Hellraiser appears to be walking off the canvas. In others, there is an angelic figure (Eden is Right Here) or angel wings (Warehouse). The mood, oftentimes foreboding and brooding, is juxtaposed with vibrant hues. The viewer may feel as though he/she is witnessing the beautiful aftermath of a nuclear disaster that somehow made everything bleed color.

“There is a fairy tale mixture of darkness and lightness--a resilience to positivity in the work that is appealing to art buyers in China,” explains gallerist Martin Kemble. “[Adolfsen] already has proven sales record in Hong Kong, which is unusual for most Western artists. It’s a sign of the changing market.”

DETAILS:

What: "The Imaginary Eden of Mr. Adolfsen," on til June 18

Where: Art Labor 2.0, No. 411, Bldg. 4, 570 Yongjia Lu, Tel: 3460-5331, www.artlaborgallery.com