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Residence of Impermanence

Christian Houge

Throughout my twenty-years as an artist, I have always explored the relation, and conflict, between Man and Nature.

`Residence of Impermanence` is an exploration of where Mankind has come as a species.

Animals of taxidermy, often rare trophy animals, were tediously collected for seven years before being burned on handmade English wallpapers representing imperialism and how we obsess over conquering Nature.

Each image in the series is made in a moment of drama and destruction, but also vitality and life.

The animal is immortalised with respect. It lives. It is resurrected with its distinctive personality before it finally is set free from limbo on its long awaited journey. This is done in a ritualistic and very personal performance with the element of fire.
The repetitive performance of burning each animal is both a symbolic totemic ritual, an offering and a liberation. It is a violent act, but also a beautiful one and meaningful to me.

I want to invite the viewers to have a sense of cognitive dissonance in relating to my work. The act of burning is an ending of a circle of that particular animal, both existential and physical.

The meeting between Nature`s fragility and Man`s ego has resulted in glaciers melting, sea levels rising, species becoming extinct, and forests disappearing.
Since the dawn of Mankind, we have mirrored ourselves in animals. Not only have we needed them for food and survival, but as crucial elements to understand ourselves in myth, spirituality, religion, fairytales, and art.

During the past decades, Man has become disconnected from Nature itself.