Daily Inspiration: Meet Marie Munk Hartwig

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marie Munk Hartwig.

Marie Munk, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I graduated my MA at the Royal College of Art in London in 2016. Shortly after I paired up with artist Stine Deja, to work on a collective project – Synthetic Seduction, first shown at Annka Kultys Gallery in London in 2018. This became the kickoff of my career. Synthetic Seduction has since been shown at countless venues around the world, and still travels. Stine Deja and I still collaborate occasionally, and have since done another large project, Divine Desires, 2022.
In 2018 I moved to Copenhagen. After spending years establishing an artist career in my home country, Denmark, with solo shows both nationally and in Europe, I relocated to Atlanta in 2023. I am now a part of the studio artist program at Atlanta Contemporary, where I’ve met talented new artist colleagues. As a newcomer I also appreciate the open studios where I get to share my work with local art professionals and enthusiasts.
I am represented by Galleri Maria Friis in Copenhagen and work with Wolfgang Gallery here in Atlanta. I am slowly growing my professional network here in the States and I am very excited for what is to come.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not. Haha. That would have been a miracle. This said, I have feel very grateful for the support I have received and the trust people have put in me and the risk they have been willing to take with my work. The Danish Arts Foundation have supported me almost from the beginning. Starting with very humble financial support from them, the support grew over the years and in 2022 I received a three year working grant from them, which is basically a base salary for three years. This is my greatest achievement, a huge help, but also slightly nerve-raking.
I created a now bump on the road moving to Atlanta, having to build a new network and understand a completely different art scene. But so far it’s been an exciting journey, and I am grateful for what I have achieved so far.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do sculpture and installation, often large scale.
In my work I explore the body’s evolving relationship to technology, culture and perception through surreal, research-driven and humor-infused scenarios.
I am known for my very visceral and fleshy textures, my absurd bodily works and my ability to make intangible and abstract technological tendencies physical, bodily and perceptible, making visible the strong and vulnerable connection between the body and technology.

What’s next?
I am looking forward to developing my practice further here in the States.
I hope to be able to do more cross-disciplinary projects, working together with people from different fields. It is a very hard task, but as an artist who explores the impact technological development have on our bodies and our behavior, I think there is a huge potential in working more closely together with people from the research community or technology industry.
Unfortunately I am not able to talk about the coming project I have here, but there are things cooking and I am grateful and excited for these amazing and challenging opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.mariemunk.com
• Instagram: @marie__munk