Astrid Storgaard

About

Astrid Storgaard (b. 1996) is a Danish interdisciplinary artist working with video, performance, textiles, and painting. Her practise addresses themes of capitalism, care/greenwashing, and hypocrisy, and she critiques these issues through humour and absurdity. Her research includes a wide range of areas, from Socrates and political rhetoric to The Kardashians. With references to pop culture and fairy tales she looks at how hope(lessness) is a powerful selling tool.

Storgaard is interested in exploring the intersections of reality TV and modern day politics. Looking at constructed storytelling, and how what we assume to be the truth, often is a curated and produced version of the truth, meant to either sell us a product or for someone to gain power.

With Reality TV, the genre’s name is literally implying it is real life, however reality TV is highly produced. The “reality” is being twisted, in to new narratives that producers want to portray. This notion of something we are being told is true, yet is a highly edited version of the truth, is not uncommon. It is also used in politics, advertising and social media, which is areas she likes to examine in her work through the lens of reality TV.

Fairy tales from the 19^th century are a source of inspiration in her work. Especially the tales from Hans Christian Andersen, where powerful people and royalty are often under critique, and rarely depicted in a good light. In her work she also references Disney, as they are the ultimate example of capitalism that pretends to care. Disney is successful because they sell the idea of hope, just like politicians with their vague promises as well as companies using care/greenwashing.

Her final project at RCA included three videos But he hasn’t got anything on!, Well, yeah, like if the actions don’t match the words, it’s hard to, like, believe the person, with the actions and Introducing Motivation Doll!

Storgaard holds a BA with first-class honours in Fine Art – Painting and Printmaking from Glasgow School of Art. She has won two portrait awards from The Carlsberg Foundation, The Special Prize in 2019 and the Young Talent Prize in 2021. Her work has been exhibited Denmark, Sweden and the UK. She is supported by Knud Højgaards Fond, William Demant Fonden and Grosserer L.F. Foghts Fond.

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