Cooper & Gorfer comprises the artists Sarah Cooper (US, SE, 1974) and Nina Gorfer (AT, 1979). Their work centers around themes of illusion, memory and dislocation, illustrating the malleability of identity through layered pictorial collages of the female experience.
The artist duo is known for their distinct hybrid portraits of women and immersive worlds with socio-political undertones. Using a point of departure in photography, their work ranges from physically layered collages with painted and embroidered materials, to photographs of disassembled images in different states of ephemeral montage. The complexities of their subjects are reflected in the process and the fragmentation of the artwork’s surfaces.
Sarah Cooper and Nina Gorfer reimagine the tradition of portraiture by visually examining and deconstructing the narrative layers of those they portray. As much audience as creators, the artists’ own experiences are intertwined with that of the protagonist, resulting in images in which several epochs are simultaneously present. Like art history’s Mannerists and Surrealists, Cooper & Gorfer strain observable reality through a filter of memories, moods and wounds.
Cooper & Gorfer began their collaboration in 2006. They live and work in Sweden. Their artwork has been widely exhibited at museums including: Hasselblad Center, NOMA New Orleans Museum of Art, Nuuk Art Museum in Greenland, The National Museum of Photography Copenhagen, MAK Frankfurt, The Arctic Conference St. Petersburg, and Fotografiska, amongst others. Cooper & Gorfer’s work is included in several private and museum collections, including the National Gallery of Iceland. Alongside their artwork, The artist duo design accompanying monographs. They have been awarded the German Photo Book Award in 2018 for their book I Know Not These My Hands (2017 Kehrer Verlag). Their film, Between These Folded Walls, Utopia, was given honorary mention for the Short Award at Tempo Documentary Film Festival in 2021.
Gallery Representation:
Larsen Warner // www.larsenwarner.com
Jackson Fine Art // www.jacksonfineart.com
Links
Cooper & Gorfer
Curriculum Vitae
ART SERIES & MURALS
2020 When We Are Giant (first phase of The Hysteria Project)
2017 – 20 Between These Folded Walls, Utopia (book, film and exhibition)
(honorable mention Arnold Newman Prize, 2022)
2013 – 17 I Know not These My Hands, the Argentina Volume (book, film and exhibition)
2015 – 16 Interruptions, the Sápmi Volume (book, film and exhibition)
2012 – 14 The Weather Diaries, for the Nordic Fashion Biennale (book, film and exhibition)
2007 – 11 My Quiet of Gold, the Kyrgyzstan Volume (book and exhibition)
2008 – 10 Latent Now, the Qatar Volume (exhibition)
Memory Between Desert and Sea – CMUQ Doha, Qatar (collaborative public mural with Douglas Cooper)
2005 – 08 In a House of Snow, the Iceland Volume (book and exhibition)
LITERATURE
2021 Between These Folded Walls, Utopia, international book release, Max Ström
(2nd Prize IPA 2022, winner Svensk Bokkonst 2021, 2nd Prize TIFA 2021)
2017 I Know not These My Hands, Volume 04 Argentina, international bok release, Kehrer Verlag
(winner German Photobook Award 2018)
2016 Interruptions, Volume 03 Sápmi, international book release, distribution Thames & Hudson
2014 The Weather Diaries, for the Nordic Fashion Biennale, international book release, Die Gestalten Verlag
2011 My Quiet of Gold, Volume 02 Kyrgyzstan, international book release, Die Gestalten Verlag
(selected Svensk Bokkonst)
2008 SEEK Volume 01 Iceland, international book release, Die Gestalten Verlag
(selected Svensk Bokkonst)
FILMS
2020 The Eternal Play, artwork / video installation
Between These Folded Walls, UTOPIA, short documentary, directed by Cooper & Gorfer, produced with Fotografiska (shortlisted Tempo Documentary Film Festival 2021)
2017 Interruptions, short documentary, directed by Cooper & Gorfer, produced with Konstmuseet i Norr I Know not These My Hands, short documentary, directed by Cooper & Gorfe, produced with Fotografiska
2014 The Weather Diaries, short documentary, directed by Cooper & Gorfer, produced with Nordic House Iceland
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 Jackson Fine Art (Atlanta, USA): selection of work
2022 Fotografiska Tallinn (Stockholm, Sweden): Between These Folded Walls, Utopia
Larsen Warner (Stockholm, Sweden): When We Are Giant
2021 Fotografiska Stockholm (Stockholm, Sweden): Between These Folded Walls, Utopia
RØROS Museum (Røros, Norway): Interruptions
2020 Fotografiska New York (New York, USA): Between These Folded Walls, Utopia
Katrineholms Konsthall (Katrineholm, Sweden): I Know Not These My Hands
2019 Lidköpings Konsthall (Lidköping, Sweden): Interruptions
World Culture Museum (Gothenburg, Sweden): Interruptions
Arctic Conference (St. Petersburgh, Russia): Interruptions
2018 RosPhoto (St. Petersburg, Russia): selected works, The Weather Diaries & Interruptions
Christian Larsen (Stockholm, Sweden): Utopia or the Mistake of the Intellect
Strandverket (Marstrand, Sweden): I Know Not These My Hands
2017 Borås Textilmuseet (Borås, Sweden): The Weather Diaries
Ajtte (Jokkmokk, Sweden): Interruptions
Fotografiska (Stockholm, Sweden): I Know Not These My Hands
Market Stockholm, selected works, represented by Christian Larsen Kvinnohistoriskt Museum (Umeå, Sweden): Interruptions
2016 Vienna Contemporary, selected works, represented by Christian Larsen
Konstmuseet i Norr (Kiruna, Sweden): Interruption
2015 Konsthallen Lokstallet (Strömstad, Sweden): artist of the year: The Long Moment
2014 Halmstads Konsthall (Halmstad, Sweden): selected works: The Long Moment
Christian Larsen (Stockholm, Sweden): I Know not These My Hands & The Weather Diaries
National Museum of Photography (Copenhagen, Denmark): The Weather Diaries
2013 Nordic House (Reykjavik, Iceland): The Long Moment
2012 The Armory Show, Art Brussels, Market Art Fair Stockholm, selected works, represented by Christian Larsen
Dunkers (Helsingborg, Sweden): selected works from 4 volumes: The Long Moment
Luleå Konsthall (Luleå, Sweden): My Quiet of Gold
Västerås Konstmuseum (Västerås, Sweden): My Quiet of Gold
2011 Gestalten Space (Berlin, Germany): selection of My Quiet of Gold
Hasselblad Center (Gothenburg, Sweden): My Quiet of Gold
2010 Christian Larsen (Stockholm, Sweden): selected works: Under Nomadic Surfaces
2008 Kulturhuset Stockholm Galleri 03 (Stockholm, Sweden): In a House of Snow
Bridge Art Fair New York, selected works
2007 Art Basel Miami, selected works
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 PhEST (Monopoli, IT): group exhibition
Fresno Art Museum (Fresno, CA, US): group exhibition, A Queen Within: Adorned Archetypes
2021 National Gallery Faroe Islands (Tórshavn, Faroe Islands): group exhibition, selected works, The Weather Diaries
2020 Göteborgs Konstmuseum (Gothenburg, Sweden): group exhibition, Art Nouveau: From Larsson to Zappa
2019 Landesgalerie Linz (Linz, Austria): group exhibition, Mode Momente. Fotografinnen im Fokus
Festival La Gacilly Baden Photo (Baden, Austria): group exhibition
Museum of Applied Art and Design (Vilnius, Lithuania): group exhibition, The Weather Diaries, curated by C&G
Museum of Popular Culture (Seattle, USA): group exhibition, A Queen Within: Adorned Archetypes
212 Photography Festival (Istanbul, Turkey): group exhibition, selected works, Interruptions
Latvian Museum of Art (Riga, Latvia): group exhibition, The Weather Diaries, curated by C&G
2017 Borås Textilmuseet (Borås, Sweden): group exhibition, The Weather Diaries, curated by C&G
American Swedish Institute (Minneapolis, US): group exhibition, The Weather Diaries, curated by C&G
Avesta Art (Avesta, Sweden): group exhibition
2016 Nordic House Iceland (Reykjavik, Iceland): group exhibition, The Weather Diaries, curated by C&G
Nordic Hertiage Museum (Seattle, US): group exhibition, The Weather Diaries, curated by C&G
Danish Cultural Center (798 Int.Arts District, Beijing, China): group exhibition, The Weather Diaries, curated by C&G
2015 CODA Museum of Modern Art (Apeldoorn, Netherlands): group exhibition, The Weather Diaries, curated by C&G
Liljevalchs (Stockholm, Sweden): group exhibition, Utopian Bodies – Fashion Looks Forward
Nordic House Faroe Islands (Tórshavn, Faroe Islands): group exhibition, The Weather Diaries
Lentos Museum of Contemporary Art (Linz, Austria): group exhibition, Love and Loss
2014 Strandverket (Marstrand, Sweden): group exhibition, Vintersalongen
Nordic Light Festival (Kristiansund, Norway): group exhibition, The Long Moment
Museum Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt (Germany): group exhibition, curated by C&G for the Nordic Fashion
Biennale, The Weather Diaries
2009 International Art Biennial, Hasselblad Center (Gothenburg, Sweden): group exhibition, Latent Now
2007 De Young Museum (San Francisco, USA): group exhibition
Gallery Representation:
Larsen Warner // www.larsenwarner.com
Jackson Fine Art // www.jacksonfineart.com
SARAH COOPER
Date of Birth 20.08.1974
Place of Birth Frankfurt, Germany
Nationality American, Swedish
Education
2004-06 MFA, University of Design and Crafts, Gothenburg, Sweden
1992-96 BFA in art photography, Syracuse University, Syracuse, USA
1990-92 Manchester Craftmans Guild studies in art photography: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
NINA GORFER
Date of Birth 15.06.1979
Place of Birth Vienna, Austria
Nationality Austrian
Education
2004-06 MFA, University of Design and Crafts, Gothenburg, Sweden
2000-04 Architecture, University of Applied Arts, Studio Zaha Hadid, Vienna, Austria
1999-00 Photography, Grafische BVL, Vienna, Austria
1997-99 Architecture, Technical University Vienna, Austria