Fucked-Up Instruments is a solo exhibition based on a critical investigation of Western musical instruments and other mass-produced utilitarian objects. Taking a sculptural and performative starting point, the exhibition focuses on how these objects have historically been designed to fit a specific body type: the white, able-bodied, cisgender man. The design of musical instruments, from the piano to the flute, is often adapted to this idealized body, which creates challenges for other body types. The exhibition aims to challenge and expand our understanding of how we interact with such objects, bringing new perspectives on technology, the body, and identity formation into music.During the industrialization era, many different utilitarian objects entered mass production and thus became standardized. Previously, these objects could vary widely in size and shape, as they were often made to suit individual needs. This changed dramatically when mass production required the establishment of standardized measurements to suit the needs of the majority. One of the objects where this standardization is most evident is the piano. Until 1880, piano keyboards varied in size, but from that point they were standardized to fit the virtuoso male pianists of the time. The piano as we know it today is therefore designed based on the white, European, able-bodied man. Pianists with other body types—for example, women, people with small hands, or those with disabilities—must adapt themselves to the instrument, rather than the instrument being adapted to them.This problem is not limited to musical instruments, but applies to almost all mass-produced objects. According to recent design research, virtually everything from safety equipment to running shoes and furniture is designed for a particular body: the white, able-bodied man. This reflects some of the values our society has historically assigned to this idealized body type. By examining how objects are designed, we gain insight into which bodies and identities are valued and prioritized.In "Instructions," the aim is to question how objects are designed for specific body types and how this affects the ways we interact with them. Musical instruments—especially the piano—are a prime example, as their design not only affects how we play music, but also how we physically interact with the instrument. For example, the keyboard is sized for an average male hand, which means that other body types must spend more time adapting and risk sustaining injuries.But it's not just about body type—it’s also about how we interact with one another through these objects. Western musical instruments are traditionally designed for a single performer on each instrument. When playing together in an ensemble, a symbiotic relationship often arises, in which musicians listen to and follow each other's movements. This form of intimacy is based on separate bodies meeting in sound. But what happens if we see the instrument as an extension of the body? What if the instrument can more deeply connect our bodies and allow us to interact at another level?In "Instructions," humor and performative interaction are used to challenge the habits and expectations we have regarding musical instruments and their relationship to the body. The exhibition presents three new instruments, each of which compels us to use our bodies in new ways in order to play them. These works highlight how the body can interact with instruments in ways that break with traditional notions of musical instrument use and the bodies for which they were designed.The first work, The Piano that Needs to Fuck Itself or A Piano for the Ideal European Cis-man, is a conceptual piece consisting of a piano with oversized keys. The keys are so large that an average man's hand cannot reach across a chord. Through humor, the work comments on the bias inherent in the piano’s design, where the instrument has historically been adapted for the white, able-bodied man. This work questions our perception of musical instruments as neutral objects and reveals the normative ideas about body and identity embedded in their form.The second work, Flute Orgy, consists of flutes that can be connected together so multiple musicians play on the same instrument. This work explores the idea of the instrument as a connector between musicians. Here, a bodily symbiosis arises, in which the performers must coordinate movement and breath in order to play together. It’s a playful and experimental approach to the symbiotic relationships between bodies and instruments in musical contexts.The third work, Six Meter Flute, is an upscaled recorder so large it must be blown mechanically and requires multiple hands to play. Previously, a 2.6 meter-long recorder was made, but for this piece, an even larger version will be created. The new flute will be four meters tall and adapted to the exhibition site, Den Rå Hal, where its monumental size will serve as a sculptural element. This work tackles the recorder's status as a trivial beginner’s instrument and transforms it into a grand and challenging one, requiring cooperation and coordination to play.During the exhibition, the works will be activated in concerts and performances, where musicians will play the new instruments. Each work highlights different aspects of the body and its relation to the instrument and to other performers, and the exhibition as a whole explores how new instruments can help reimagine our ways of understanding and interacting with body and technology.

Supported by Statens Kunstfond, Aage og Louis Hansen Fonden & Aarhus Kommune Kulturudviklingspuljen