Karen Briem: Mamma hafði rétt fyrir sér / Mother Was Right

In the exhibition Mother Was Right, Karen explores how we relate to everyday functional objects: how often they are chosen solely for their usefulness, practicality, or temporary needs, rather than because they evoke emotion or spark curiosity.
The works celebrate the everyday, as Karen repurposes furniture and objects that have fulfilled their original function and gives them new life. In a society where seriousness and efficiency are often highly valued, the artist creates space for playfulness by allowing these objects to be funny, silly, colorful, or even slightly unnecessary.

The exhibition is also shaped by Karen’s personal experience of living a transient lifestyle for many years, moving from place to place in search of the ultimate freedom.

“When I later found a home of my own, I experienced a new kind of peace. Having a place that no one could take away from me opened up a different form of freedom: the freedom to shape my own environment, express myself without limitations, and create a personal anchor in the world.”
— Karen Briem

An important material throughout the exhibition is papel picado and other decorations that Karen preserved from her wedding celebration. Science often examines how trauma is passed down through generations, but here the question is raised whether joy might be inherited as well. What if objects can carry traces of joyful moments in the same way they carry wear and tear?

The papel picado, confetti, and other materials used in the works have all participated in celebration, togetherness, and happiness. By giving them a new role within everyday objects, a fragment of that experience is transferred to them. The works thus become an attempt to preserve joy, allowing it to take root within the home and reminding us that everyday life can be beautiful, strange, and delightful.

Throughout history, the home has often served as a safe space for people who, in public, had to conceal parts of their identity, yet were able to express themselves freely within its walls. In this sense, the home becomes a sanctuary for the self - a place where eccentricities, colors, memories, and desires are allowed to take up space.

Perhaps that is where we find the essence of things. Not in perfection or functionality, but in the objects that make us smile.