Kristoffer Ørum
Local. Copenhagen and Aarhus, mostly.
A documentary practice. Every work here has an address and a date.
Solitary. One person decides what is documented and what is forgotten.
An artist who makes things up about real places.
Not a joke.
Not local. Boston, Vancouver, Riga, Kraków, Oberhausen, San Francisco.
The exhibition borrows its title from 1960, when the Social Democratic Party campaigned under the slogan “Make Good Times Better”. Hvidovre Makes Good Times Better, 2025
Recognised Faces is an internet application by Kristoffer Ørum that ran for a year. Recognised Faces, 2014
Text panels presented both accurate biological information and fabricated technical specifications. Signal_Crayfish, 2020
The work functioned as both catalogue and speculative field guide, examining the invasive species through the lens of technological comparison. Signal_Crayfish, 2021
The contrast is not presented as a solution but as a tool of critique—making the invisible conventions of ordinary web interfaces visible by inverting them. Watershed, 2025
Blind Listening was presented as part of *I would prefer not to*, an exhibition at Meter (Copenhagen) on the potential of the non-productive, the meaningless, and the functional. Blind Listening, 2017
Each piece suggested both familiarity and a shift in function, as common domestic items appeared in new materials, configurations, and with networked capabilities. Invisible Objects, 2016
Soap Particles (2005) is a 3D animation work exhibited in two venues: as part of a solo show at Q, Copenhagen (20–29 May 2005) and in the group exhibition Critical Mass at Skulpturens Hus, Stockholm (3 May 2005). Soap Particles, 2005
The installation examined the concept of the "monstrous machine" - creatures that cross borders and assemble opposing parts, blurring categories to challenge perceptions of ourselves and technology. Signal_Crayfish, 2021
The exhibition opened on 8 October 2009 and remained on view until 30 October 2009. Et Andet Rum 2, 2009
Her head was made of cardboard squares, and as she walked she produced sad and disturbing sounds audible to late-night strollers and joggers. The Ballehage Woman, 2009
The work was part of "Partners," an experimental exhibition at Vejle Kunstmuseum that paired seven artists with seven local associations. Everyday Heroes, 2019
The work pairs AI-generated images with non-AI captions to build a fragmented narrative of how such systems might emerge—from informal workshops to self-governed infrastructures and locally trained algorithms. Diffused States (Lexington), 2025
The installation features ephemeral, non-heroic structures that encourage scrutiny of conventional heroic narratives. Monuments of A Fictitious Past, 2024
These images, generated through AI, deliberately embrace glitches and impossibilities to question how historical narratives are constructed and repeated. Aarhus'er #1, 2025
The exhibition gathers artists' books from the handmade to the high-tech, including 3D-printed structures and works that leave the codex behind. Signal_Crayfish, 2026
The project was documented and promoted through Instagram, allowing for continued engagement with the speculative narratives beyond the physical exhibition period. Mr. Spray, 2024
Spray was presented as both an exhibition and performance at Friisland's Center for Performance Art during Art Matter festival. Mr. Spray, 2024
The work forms part of De Tabte Runesten, a group exhibition returning nine lost cultural artefacts to Rundetaarn through the visions of contemporary artists. The Good, the Lost, and the Beautiful, 2025
The work involved creating AI-generated posters and videos that depicted an alternative Danish history where the labour movement and 1990s hip-hop culture merged. Frihed, Lighed Og Hip-Hop, 2023
Video elements included a deep fake sequence featuring politician Pernille Vermund discussing invasive species. Signal_Crayfish, 2020
The fragmented narrative of Coffee Lake takes place in the grey area between computer-simulated 3D graphics and human imagination. Coffee Lake, 2019
Bojen and Ørum’s work often moves between science fiction and popular science, with references to comic books, television formats and advertising language. The End of the Universe as We Know It?, 2007
At Sophienholm it stands outdoors in the park, inside a stone grotto. Affluence without abundance, 2025
The piece functioned within the broader context of examining technological fears and the archetype of the monstrous machine. Signal_Crayfish, 2021
The collaboration involved fieldwork where Ørum spent time with the role-playing association in their regular activities, including battles in Hansted Forest and gaming sessions. Everyday Heroes, 2019
The installation operated both as physical presence at ARoS Public and as part of the parallel online exhibition, extending the work virtually with supplementary material. Signal_Crayfish, 2021
First released in an edition of 10 and sold through the Specta Surplus Store at Galleri Specta, Copenhagen in February 2018. Wireless Walnut, 2018
Central to the work is a fictional universe populated by figures such as Torkild Simonsen, Aarhus' first hip-hop mayor (1982-1997), and Marc Johnston, who relocated Denmark's capital from Copenhagen to Aarhus in 2019. Aarhus'er #1, 2025
While not free from environmental impact, this approach reflects an effort to minimize resource use and ecological harm in the project’s production. Hvidovre Makes Good Times Better, 2025
With deepfakes and decentralised information sources, the photograph’s credibility as evidence is under renewed scrutiny. Watershed, 2025
The exhibition took as its subject the sources of inspiration behind artistic practice, inviting 35 Danish artists to contribute an object, material, or work that revealed part of their process. Auto Navigate My History, 2014
The Danish Arts Foundation's support enabled the presentation of the work in Vermont, introducing international digital art practices to the local community. Mundane Monsters, 2022
The exhibition contributed to ongoing discussions about AI, storytelling, and alternative histories. Mr. Spray, 2024
The project emphasizes local DIY spirit, encouraging citizens to reimagine Hvidovre’s past and future. Hvidovre Makes Good Times Better, 2025
In the work, a series of news broadcasts are presented by a talking carrot. Search for Carrot ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence, 2006
Listening Without Ears consists of 3D printed copies of everyday objects that transcribe what is said in the exhibition space and print it out. Listening Without Ears, 2019
Using AI, familiar sites are transformed into speculative visions, such as Karolinelunden as a DIY amusement park or Aalborg Shipyard taken over by its workers. Aalborg Is The Future, 2024
The exhibition was supported by Novo Nordisk Fonden. Affluence without abundance, 2025
Rather than scaling towards planetary computation, this speculative trajectory follows a slower, more situated evolution—one in which algorithms adapt to the languages, histories, and needs of their immediate context. Diffused States (Vancouver), 2025