In Pernille Kløvedal Helweg’s exhibition, The Turtle Archive, we are challenged in a spectacular, humorous and clever way by works which use different graphic techniques, sculpture and video art to consider turtle motifs from history, religion and art.

The Turtle Archive has been created specially for Faaborg Museum’s galleries and encourages interplay with its collections. Pernille Kløvedal Helweg first considers the architecture of the Museum building, which resembles an ancient classical temple. The exhibition is also in conversation with the Museum’s art collection and focuses particularly on the Funen Painters’ work on nature, animals and birds. Moreover the exhibition also extends beyond the Museum, beyond art and architecture touching on a range of topics from archaeology and religion to literature and zoology, revealing far-reaching historical perspectives. The result is an exhibition, which touches both hearts and minds and particularly appeals to a viewer’s experience and sense of humour.

The works in The Turtle Archive contribute to Pernille Kløvedal Helweg’s earlier pieces featuring landscape graphics and animal studies. They were created during a residency at the Danish Art Workshops in 2013 and 2014. In addition there is a video work on Roman turtle fountains ‘Fontana delle Tartarughe’ made during a residency at the Danish Institute in Rome in May 2014.