The Less Unsustainable Reality Show is a video and installation dealing with the personal experiences and encounters of an artist participating in a Danish reality tv show about the arts. It’s about a suspect reconstruction of the 19th century educational journey of Danish artists visiting Italy, trying to connect reality to a media narrative disregarding social realities in a Europe marked by right-wing ideologies. But above all it’s about an attempt at finding political potential within a media construct not intended for critique.

Performers: Dorcas Joanna Hansen, Kaj Thagård Pedersen, Celeste Borchorst Faurschou, Ramesh Kingsly Premarajah, Hazel Watt og Mette Riise.
Videographer: Majse Vilstrup
Photographer: Youngjae Lih

A mock-documentary-talk-show in which I reenact my journey to creating a talk show inspired by the environmental report The Limits to Growth (1972). The work examines the growth paradigm of western capitalism and it’s disregard for planetary boundaries whilst the film itself struggles to deconstruct the linear western narrative of development.

Videographer: Daniel Jamernik
Photographer: Mads Holm

2019 I was invited for an artist residency in the Department of Accounting at Monash Business School in Melbourne. At the end of the residency an ‚entertaining‘ performance was expected for the staff. Instead I delivered a surprise comedy show about the performative nature of accounting and the social invention of money.

In 2020 the video was exhibited in an installation at a group show at the University of Fine Arts Hamburg. Here, I sat up a fake office with a hidden cinema inside in a discrete corner of the exhibition

“Rundgang at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is an event which students await the entire year! Who will win the Student of the Year award? Or Best Leading Feminist?” I expressed in my oscar’s inspired opening speech for the academy’s art show. A show, aiming to walk the fine line of fostering political revolutions through market advancements and breaking class hierarchies by reinforcing them through speech. Confused? The language of pop culture might be here to help. In my speech I shared insights on how to engage in artistic small talk and gracefully exit conversations which prove not to be career-advancing. Finally, I promoted my own contribution to the show: a real oil painting of my favorite episode of ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’

“...and the role of the ‘Principal’ is carried out by Eva Blimlinger – and what a great act she‘s carried out!“

– Mette Riise

In 2018, I spent eight months investigating the craft of stand-up comedy. This resulted in the work ‘5 Minute Comedy Routine,’ a well-rehearsed, short comedy act about the ups and downs of working as an artist, like being able to gift your parents drawings for Christmas but spending too much money on clay.
The act which I routinely performed on stages for upcoming stand-up comedians, was debuted the to an art crowd as an opening act for the group show KE19 in Den Frie Udstillingsbygning. Initially, can laughter from speakers prompted the art crowd to laugh at the punchlines, until the canned laughter faded out and the laughter of the audience took over.

“Both my mom and I were relieved when we discovered I could make money off of being insane“

– Mette Riise

In 2017, I was given the opportunity to produce my very first performance at the museum 21er Haus in Vienna. Instead, I chose to introduce myself. Assisted by a PowerPoint presentation and equipped with personal artifacts meticulously encased in airtight, sanitary plastic bags, I dissected my personality, mental health- and family issues and recommended medication for the audience.

(Video cut out from rehearsal).