Fredrik Raddum
Galleri Brandstrup is pleased to present "Lint in the Navel of the World and Abstract Interiors," a new solo exhibition by Fredrik Raddum featuring recent bronze and wood sculptures produced over the past two years. Known for his absurdist, satirical, and profoundly human take on contemporary life, Raddum continues to walk the fine line between humor and existential reflection in this new body of work. The exhibition opens Thursday May 8, at 6 PM.
The title gestures playfully toward philosophy and mythology. In ancient belief systems—from Delphi to Cusco—the “navel of the world” was understood as a sacred center of meaning. Here, Raddum subverts the term, turning the gaze inward to our modern tendency toward self-absorption. The works in the exhibition reflect this friction between a desire for deeper meaning and the mundane, often chaotic nature of our everyday lives. As if through dust on the lens or static in the signal, his sculptures become disruptions in the machinery of modern existence—quirky, poetic glitches that force us to pause.
The exhibition includes patinated bronze figures, often painted in detail, and wooden sculptural furniture without clear function. Some pieces lean into quiet joy and observation—such as Loitering in the Night, a sleepwalker with its head turned backward, wandering with wide-open eyes ready to absorb the world. Others, like Mr. Multiple, grapple with inner dissonance: six heads search in different directions, a fractured self digging for answers in the noise of modern life. The mobile-like bronze Umbilicus Mundi dangles body parts in all directions—an emblem of instability, suggesting a loss of center.
A central question in the exhibition emerges: what does it mean to be human in a fragmented world? Drawing inspiration from philosophers like Arne Næss and psychologists like Per Einar Binder, Raddum’s figures embody the tension between autonomy and ambiguity. The bird in Apricitas nests peacefully atop a human head, evoking a stillness that allows room for thought, hesitation, and renewal. This is the space where everything becomes possible—where absurdity and freedom coexist.
With his newest works in wood—crafted entirely in his studio using locally sourced material—Raddum shifts toward a more intimate, tactile presence. The pale surfaces and softened forms contrast with the darker, more dystopian bronze figures. These abstract interiors, while quieter in appearance, continue to resonate with Raddum’s signature wit and existential curiosity.
Ultimately, "Lint in the Navel of the World and Abstract Interiors" invites viewers into a world both familiar and off-kilter, where sculpture becomes a mirror for our contradictions, doubts, and hopes—playfully reminding us that in the absurdity of life, there is space for both laughter and reflection.