Mette Tommerup
Born 1969, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mette Tommerup presents complex installations of paintings, objects and ephemera, invoking a narrative stream of information and imagery.
Selected Works
Mette Tommerup
Ocean Loop lead Mette Tommerup to a series of experiments that have something of the flavor of postwar avant-garde movements like Gutai, Arte Povera and Conceptual Art. Tommerup attached small oil paintings of the sea to a string and immersed them in the ocean. Some broke free and disappeared. She was able to reel others back in, battered and discolored by salt and water. Tommerup repeated the experiment with squares of raw canvas, and after retrieving them, sewed their water stained remains together. She grew salt crystals on paintings. She treated raw canvas with blue dye and salt water to create a surface that suggests the patterns that dance just below the skin of rippling water.
Mette Tommerup (born Denmark 1969) is a painter and storyteller who creates simultaneously earnest and satirical narratives to frame her production of objects, whether they are digital or made from canvas and paint. Tommerup relocated to Miami in the late 1990’s after living and studying in New York City for many years. Tommerup has exhibited at The Chelsea Art Museum, Exit Art, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City. In Miami, Tommerup has exhibited at The Bass, Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) and The FIU Frost Museum of Art and has work in many public and private collections, including work in the permanent collection of Wilmer Hale in Washington DC, the Lowe Art Museum, and Perez Art Museum Miami. She will have a solo shows at Locust Projects in November 2020. Honors include acquisition of work through the Art Purchase Program at The American Academy of Arts and Letters in NYC. Publications include Miami Contemporary Artists, Miami Arts Explosion, 100 Degrees in the Shade and Man as Object: Reversing the Gaze and exhibitions have been reviewed in Art in America, Artnet.com and The Miami Herald among others. Tommerup received an MFA at School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1995.
Born Denmark
Lives and works in Miami, Florida
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020 Made by Dusk, Locust Projects, Miami, FL
2019 Love, Ur, Emerson Dorsch Gallery, Miami, FL
2018 Ocean Loop, Emerson Dorsch Gallery, Miami, FL
2011 Full Salute, Emerson Dorsch Gallery, Miami, FL
2010 11 Glimpses, Emerson Dorsch Gallery, Miami, FL
2006 TRACKS, Fredric Snitzer Gallery Project Room, Miami, FL
New Work, Byron Cohen Gallery for Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
2003 Free Transform, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami, FL
Invert, Byron Cohen Gallery for Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
Invisible, ARENA NYC
2002 Trampoline, Wolfsonian-FIU, Miami Beach, FL
2001 DigiCommons, Fredric Snitzer Gallery – Project Room Installation, Miami, FL
Hormone, DesignLabMiami, Miami, FL
Pinch, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Clubhouse, JFK Airport, New York, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS AND FAIRS
2019 Ping Pong, Projektraum M 54 Basel, Switzerland
2018 Paradise Summit Miami, Emerson Dorsch, Miami, FL December
Return to Sender, MBUS, Miami Beach, FL
I see the Spotlight in You, Performance “Honey Ice Honey”, Emerson Dorsch,
Miami, FL
2018 Because The Dawn Breaks, Elaine L. Jacob Gallery, Wayne State University,
Detroit, MI
2017 Ping Pong, Projektraum M 54 Basel, CH
2016 Ping Pong, Projektraum M 54 Basel, CH
2015 100+ Degrees in the Shade, Miami, FL
Ping Pong, Projektraum M 54 Basel, CH
Collab, BAC, Miami, FL
2014 Ping Pong, Projektraum M 54 Basel, CH
2013 Putti Kiss, Futurists, CAP Project, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, FL
Ping Pong, Projektraum M 54 Basel, CH
2012 Ping Pong, Projektraum M 54 Basel, CH
2011 Home: Dream Home, Praxis, Miami, FL
Ping Pong, Art Basel, M 54 Projects, Basel, CH
2010 Invitational Exhibition of Visual Arts, American Academy of Arts and Letters
Exhibition of Works by Newly Elected Members and Recipients of Honors,
American Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC
Ping Pong, Projektraum M 54 Basel, CH
New Work Miami 2010, Miami Art Museum, Miami, FL
2009 Recent Acquisitions, Miami Art Museum, Miami, FL
Ping Pong, Projektraum M54, Basel, CH
Time +Temp, Hollywood Art and Culture Center, Hollywood, FL
2008 Yardwork, CasaLin, Miami, FL
2007 Top Soil, CasaLin, Miami, FL
Confluence, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami, FL
Rediviva – Flight 19, Locust Projects, Miami, FL
Seinfeld, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami, FL
2006 Landscape, Upstairs Berlin, Berlin, Germany
ArtBasel Miami Beach, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami, FL
Postcards From the Edge, Sikkema Jenkins & Co., NYC
2005 ArtBasel Miami Beach, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami, FL
Scope, Byron Cohen Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Pulse, Byron Cohen Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Destination Works, Pulse, Miami, FL Curated by Jade Dellinger
O, The Games We Play, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami, FL
Postcards From the Edge, Robert Miller Gallery, NYC
2004 Surface Tension, Chelsea Art Museum, NYC
Me, Myself and I, Schmidt Center Gallery, FAU, Boca Raton, FL
All You Can Eat, Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, FL
ArtBasel Miami Beach, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami, FL
Lock Stock and Barrel, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami, FL
Postcards From the Edge, Brent Sikkema, NYC
2003 ArtBasel Miami Beach, Fredric Snitzer Gallery
Space – Thinking Outside the Sphere, Miami Science Museum, Miami, FL
Turning the Pages, Celebrating South Florida Artist-Made Books, Centre Gallery,
Wolfson Campus, Miami-Dade College
Inner City Project, Exit Biennial: The Reconstruction, Exit Art, NYC
Digital Purr, The Beaker Gallery, Tampa, FL
Manifest Destiny, The Madonna Building, Miami, FL curated by Anat Egbi
Free Spirits Artist Lounge, Sponsored by ArtBasel
Postcards From the Edge, Galerie Lelong, NYC
2002 Scratch, Arena, NYC
Florida Focus Exhibition 2002: Fresh Squeezed, Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Largo, FL
Beached/Not Stranded, The Beaker Gallery, Tampa, FL
That Place, July 25 – Sept 20, Curated by Cesar Trasobares, Mia Gallery,
Miami International Airport
The Alphabet Show, The Main Library, Miami FL
That Place, The Moore Building, Dacra, Miami Design District
Reactions, Exit Art, NYC (Artwork in response to 9/11 gifted to the
Library of Congress in Washington DC)
Postcards From the Edge, Sperone Westwater, NYC
2001 Globe>Miami<Island, Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, FL
Spunky, Exit Art, NYC
Blotter, Botanical Gardens, Miami Beach, FL
Hurricane, New Gallery, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
The Sears Building, Curated by Robert Chambers, The House, Miami FL
Emerging Perspectives, Esperito Santo Bank, 1290 Brickell Ave, Miami
Postcards From the Edge, Sara Meltzer Gallery, NYC
2000 Postcards From The Edge, Andrew Kreps Gallery, NYC
I Hate NY, Curated by Kenny Schachter/Rove, Shoreditch High St, London, UK
Small Works, Dorsch Gallery, Miami, FL
To The Edge, Dorsch Gallery, Miami, FL
Robot, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami, FL
Freedom Rocks, Curated by Fredric Snitzer, Dacra Building, Miami, FL
Departing Perspectives, Curated by Fredric Snitzer, Espirito Santo Bank, Miami, FL
1999 War, Postmasters, NYC
Paradise Now, Exit Art, NYC
Postcards From The Edge, Alexander and Bonin, NYC
1998 100, Holland Tunnel, Brooklyn, NYC
Postcards From The Edge, Kenny Schachter/Rove, 526 W26th St, NYC
HONORS AND COMMISSIONS
2010 Hassam, Speicher, Betts, and Symons Purchase Fund,
American Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC
2011 Reflection of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Theatre,
Kaleidoscope positions – Infinite reflections
2010 Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines,
Deck 15 Points +Hemisphere Floor Project December 2010,
Oasis of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
2009 Deck 15 Diagonal Islands, Floor Project December
COLLECTIONS
Peréz Art Museum Miami
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
Four Seasons Hotel
Hallmark Print Collection
Related Group
Marion Boulton Stroud Collection
Susan and Dennis Richard Collection
Craig Robbins / DACRA Collection
Amy Cappellazzo and Joanne Rosen Collection
Claire Breukel Collection
Milton Ferrell Collection
George Lindemann Collection
Peter Menendez Collection
Vivianne Pheiffer
Wilmer Hale Collection
Estelle and Paul Berg Collection
Michael Christiansen Collection
Liz Schwartz and Lydia Martin
Lisa Leone Collection
Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum
Patricia & Phillip Frost Museum at Florida International University
Lowe Museum, University of Miami
Diane and Werner Grob
Cricket Taplin
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY (PRINT AND ELECTRONIC)
Corsano, Erica. “Mette Tommerup’s ‘Love Ur’ Exhibit is an Interactive Wonderland”, Ocean Drive Magazine. January 5, 2020
Sokol, Brett. “Art Basel Miami, Where Big Money Meets Bigger Money”, New York Times. November 29, 2019
Schulman , Sandra. “Miami Art Week Part 1: A conservative mood with nostalgic art”, Palm Beach Arts Paper. December 7, 2019
Artspace editors. “6 Artists to Watch in November 2019”, Artspace.com, November 8, 2019
Sokol, Brett. “36 Hours in Miami and Miami Beach”, New York Times. February 2019
Turner, Elisa. “Mette Tommerup: Ocean Loop”. Delicious Lines. February 2018
Sokol, Brett. “Smiley People”. Ocean Drive Magazine. January 2018
Wall Street Journal International. “Mette Tommerup: Ocean Loop.” January 2018
Von Malin, H. “Ping Pong Basel holt Kunstler aus Miami, Los Angeles, Berlin und Basel.” Künstlerischer Schlagabtausch, June 2017
Robinson, Walter. “Full Salute”. Artnet.com December 2011
Basel. Anders-Art-ig. Surprise Strassenmagazin, (Swiss) June 16, 2011
Gernet, Joel. “Ein Getreidesilo mitten im Kleinbasel”, Baseler Zeitung. June 18, 2011
Dunlop, Beth. “Home: Dream Home” an edgy exhibit at Praxis. The Miami Herald. July 17, 2011
Home: Dream Home, el arte como hecho cotidiano. El Nuevo Herald. July 17, 2011
Tschida, Anne. “Home: Dream Home Not a Dream.” Knight Arts. July 8, 2011
Diaz, Melissa. Welcome Home. Artlurker.com July 2011
Austin, Tom. “MAM’s new works exhibit focuses on local artists”. The Miami Herald July 25, 2010
Alfredo Triff. “Mette Tommerup at Dorsch Gallery”, May 2, 2010, Miami Bourbaki.
Robinson, Walter. “Nineteen Top Shows”, artnet.com, July 2010
Robinson, Walter. “Picture Post/ Art Basel Miami Beach”, artnet.com, December 2010
Martin, Lydia. “Nudity, celebs, chickens – Art Basel has everything”, The Miami Herald, December 5, 2010
Santiago, Fabiola. “Making the rounds: An insider’s guide to three museum exhibitions“, The Miami Herald, July 26, 2009
Santiago, Fabiola “Best in Show: Exploring the warp and woof of our love affair with dogs“,
The Miami Herald, June 21, 2009
News.FIU.edu “Innovative artist forum series spurs students’ artistic growth“
May 7,2009
Feinstein, Roni. “After the Fair(s)”. Art in America. March 2008
Austin, Tom. “New Frost museum makes FIU a serious player” The Miami Herald. November 30, 2008
Robinson, Walter. “Miami Memories“. Artnet.com December 2008
Artlurker.com “Yardwork @ CasaLin” November 2008
Woolridge, Jane. “The Art Basel Cheat Sheet: What you have to see” The Miami Herald. December 5, 2008
Woolridge, Jane. “A Basel whimsy: Artists at play in the yard” The Miami Herald December 4, 2008 Santiago, Fabiola. “Doing some ‘Yard Work’ at CasaLin“. The Miami Herald. November 28, 2008
Barrenechea, Victor. ” Off the Basel Path “. Biscayne Times. December 2008
Hollingworth, Thomas. “Inside the Artist’s Studio” Art Basel Miami Beach Magazine. December 2008
Albritton, Laura. “Miami: Sculpture in the Pleasure Dome“. Sculpture Magazine. December 2008
LYDIA MARTIN AND FABIOLA SANTIAGO Miami itself becomes a work of art. The Miami Herald (Cover story). Dec 2, 2007
JANE WOOLDRIDGE Quirky CasaLin is all local. The Miami Herald. Dec 6, 2007
JANE WOOLDRIDGE, DANIEL CHANG AND FABIOLA SANTIAGO. “ART BASEL – Some complain of Art Basel’s high prices”. The Miami Herald. Dec 6, 2007
Turner, Elisa. ”Snitzer show brings 59 homegrown artists together”. The Miami Herald.
July 22, 2007
Feinstein, Roni. “Gavin Perry and Mette Tommerup at Fredric Snitzer“. Art in America. December 2006
Riley, Terence. “A Fair is Born“. Florida Inside Out. November/December 2006
Triff, Alfredo. ”Miami Arts Explosion” Thomson 2006
Mills, Michael. “Through a Fractured Lens”. Broward Palm Beach New Times November 18, 2004
Mills, Michael. “Cuisine de Pop“. Broward New Times. July 29, 2004
Weinberg, Michelle. “All That Glitters“. Miami New Times. July 29, 2004
Turner, Elisa. “Critic’s Pick I ART“. The Miami Herald. July 9, 2004
Feinstein-Bartl, Beth. “Hollywood center’s exhibition has plenty of bite“. South Florida Sun-Sentinel, July 7, 2004
Feinstein, Roni. “Expanding Horizons“. Art in America. December 2003
Turner, Elisa. Art Review Magazine. December 2003
McDonnell, Evelyn & Ocana, Damarys. “Alternative scenes: in a bar, on the sand“. The Miami Herald, December 5, 2003
Buckley, Suzy. “Art Notables” Ocean Drive, Art Basel Miami Beach. December 2003
Triff, Alfredo. “In our own Image“. Miami New Times. Oct 16, 2003
Triff, Alfredo. “Sites Seen”, Miami New Times. Jan 16th, 2003
Turner, Elisa. “Odd new forums showcase emerging artists” The Miami Herald,
Dec 8, 2002
Dr. Paula Harper. “Bass Forward“. Art in America. June 2002
Turner, Elisa. “Discovering a Place in Miami’s Hot Art Scene“. The Miami Herald.
June 16, 2002
Johnson, Ken. “Gallery Reviews“. The New York Times, Exit Art Spunky, Oct 19, 2001
Wallach, Amei. ” In Miami, a Hot Spot of Art, the Temperature’s Rising“. The New York Times , September 16, 2001
Triff, Alfredo. “All Over the Place – Do you have time for all the art that’s out there?”
Miami New Times, April 26, 2001.
Antoni, Brian. “Modern Art in the Digital Age ”, Ocean Drive Magazine, Summer 2001
Turner, Elisa. “Digital Technology Takes Art Beyond Brush“, Miami Herald, Feb. 15,2001
Turner, Elisa. “Gallery Reviews“, The Miami Herald, January 31, 2001
The Insider. “Miracle Art“, Miami Today, January 2001
Iran Issa-Khan. ” Social Studies“, Ocean Drive Magazine, February 2001
Robinson, Walter. “Miami Art Diary”, Artnet.com, February 2000
review:http://www.artnet.com/magazine/reviews/robinson/robinson1-24-00.asp#14
Austin, Tom. “Warhol Sandwiches and Travels with a Princess”,
Ocean Drive Magazine, May 2000
Turner, Elisa. “Gallery Review”, The Miami Herald, September 16, 2000
Gauche, Sheri. “Santos Project”. Sculpture Magazine, November 2000
Kroomer, Martin. “I Hate NY”. Time Out, June 2000
Robinson, Walter. “I Hate NY”. Artnet.com, June 2000
Cotter, Holland. “Changes Aside Soho Is Still Very Much Soho” New York Times,
February 12, 1999
CATALOGUES AND ESSAYS
Heartney, Eleanor. “Made by Dusk.” Exhibition Publication for Locust Projects, Miami, FL. 2020
Heartney, Eleanor. “Waking the Ur Experience.” Exhibition Publication for Emerson Dorsch, Miami, FL. 2019
Heartney, Eleanor. “Ocean Loop.” Exhibition Publication for Emerson Dorsch, Miami, FL. 2018
100+ Degrees in the Shade –A Survey of South Florida Art
Name Publications
By Jane Hart 2015
Miami Arts Explosion
by Alfredo Triff 2006
Miami Contemporary Artists (Hardcover)
by Paul Clemence (Author), Julie Davidow (Author), Elisa Turner (Foreword) 2007
Catalogue: TIME+TEMP – Surveying the Shifting Climate of Painting in South Florida Nov 2009 – Jan 2010, Art and Culture Center of Hollywood.
EDUCATION
1995, MFA, School of Visual Arts, NYC
1990, BFA, Indiana University of Pennsylvania