The things we never said

19.03.2009 - 22.03.2009 | Clara Diesen

Clara Diesen is a poet, playwright, director and artist ” The things we never said” is an exhibition of drawings, objects, text, animation and sound. Different media come together in an installation that reflects upon silence, language – communication and lack of the same. It deals with the gaps between words and the gap between a word and its meaning and how this relates to the closeness and distance between people. It is also about language and the imaginary imprint that words leave – even the ones never spoken. Absence as a form of presence. The work presented in the show is a continuation of Clara Diesen poetry and work for the stage, works that revolve around themes like communication, memory, loss and forgetfulness.

In this project she asked people to contribute with ”the things they never said” and these hitherto unspoken words have found their way into text-pieces and a soundtrack. A series of drawings and looped animations featuring teacups with communication problems further explore this theme.

Clara Diesen was born in 1972 and lives in Stockholm. As a director she has done the plays ”Falling water” at Elverket, Stockholm and ”Summerdress” at moment:teater. That work has been a mix of theatre and performance or as a critic said: scene-poetry – as she is also a poet. Her first book was named ”glömskans bok” (book of forgetfulness) 2004 and her third book is coming this fall: ”När du är som yngst” at Bonniers, a collection of narrative poetry inspired by her family.

Together with artist Patrik Qvist she will present a work for the stage on April 16: ”Planetariet-Sanatoriet” which will take place at the performance festival TUPP (14-17 April) at Uppsala Stadsteater. The performance has been called a ”meeting between performance and a theatre of objects”.