altars of humanity

Press Release

Nicelle Beauchene Gallery is pleased to announce altars of humanity, the gallery’s second solo show with Alexander Tovborg. For this exhibition Tovborg will present a single, monumental painting in the exhibition space upheld by a procession of six small bronze sculptures. This exhibition is the sister show to the symbol has resurrected at Blum & Poe, New York which runs from September 15 - October 28.

In altars of humanity Tovborg’s interest in the binaries of the sacred and profane, good and evil, past and present, spirit and object takes an expansive step forward with the presentation of a 33 foot long painting (in five parts) staged here as an altar with six bronze heads supporting the panels. Here Tovborg explores the allegorical tales of Mammon, a pejorative term used throughout the New Testament for gluttony, excessive materialism, greed and the misuse of power. Resurrecting and personifying the spirit of Mammon and its transformational properties through depictions of himself, serpents, dragons, and the repetition of a coin bearing a pentagon, Tovborg creates a portrait of greed through the confluence of religious perspectives, including Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism.

While the symbol has resurrected at Blum & Poe focuses on the manifestation of Mammon and its transformational properties, altars of humanity focuses on a more universal profile of Mammon, uniting symbolic components established in the symbol has resurrected as well as in Tovborg’s past works and exhibitions to consecrate this work as a culmination of the artist's experiences — both personal and professional. Within this altarpiece Tovborg encodes and extends power and spirituality into his elements, revealing and expressing his altruistic hope and faith for humankind to coexist in peace across nations and cultures.

Alexander Tovborg (b. 1983) lives and works in Copenhagen. His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions worldwide including Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen; Blum & Poe, LA & NY; State of Concept, Athens; Overgaden, Copenhagen, Denmark, and Museet for Religiøs Kunst, Lemvig, Denmark. Additionally, Tovborg’s work has been featured in group exhibitions including the 9th Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art, Sweden; Museet for Religiøs Kunst, Lemvig, Denmark; Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland; and the Museo Nacional de la Estampa, Mexico City, Mexico. He received his BA from Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Karlsruhe, Germany and his MFA from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark.