REFRACT PRESENTS:
BODIES WE BORROW
A queer collective exhibition exploring the negotiation of the body and identity
BODIES WE BORROW is a new outdoor collective exhibition bringing together artists who explore how the body is shaped, interpreted, and negotiated in relation to gaze, language, norms, and needs.
About the exhibition
In a queer context, the body is rarely a neutral or private matter. It is continuously categorized and regulated by the outside world — while also being actively used as a form of expression, a shield, and a tool for transformation. Through works selected from an open call, the exhibition brings together diverse artistic perspectives on how identity emerges in the tension between self-definition and external readings.
The exhibition examines the body as something unstable and negotiated — not as a fixed core, but as a surface where identity is continuously created, read, and rewritten. The performative nature of gender and the situational character of identity become visible through the different approaches and perspectives represented in the exhibition.
The Concept: Borrowed Shells
The physical framework of the exhibition reflects the social frameworks we must navigate. The works are presented on aluminium panels, chosen both for their raw, industrial character and for their ability to withstand the elements during a month-long outdoor exhibition.
The panels are designed as temporary structures that can be dismantled, transported, and reused as the exhibition travels to new locations. Most panels bring together works by two artists, while some are dedicated to a single artist. This creates shifting relationships between the works, allowing different artistic voices to exist alongside and in dialogue with one another.
The panels can also be understood as “borrowed shells” — temporary bodies that hold the works for the duration of the exhibition. They provide a physical framework without defining the works themselves, reinforcing the idea of the body as something we inhabit, borrow, adapt, and transform.
In this way, the exhibition structure becomes both functional and conceptual: a temporary body for the artworks, shaped by the practical conditions of public space while reflecting the themes at the heart of the exhibition.
The Artists
Meet the artists and discover the practices behind the works in BODIES WE BORROW.
Practical Information
Opening: 1 September 2026, 18:00
Exhibition period: 1–30 September 2026
Venue: Elsa Laula Renbergs plass, Trondheim
Admission: Free and open to everyone
Stay Updated
As we count down to the opening and finalize the exhibition, we share artist presentations, glimpses of the works, and updates from the process.
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“Do we actually fully own our bodies?”
