SHELL

with Esben Weile Kjær, Croatian Amor, FETISH, and Somewhere Special

Saturday, May 31, 5pm 
316 Ten Eyck
Graphic by William Becker

Amant and TRAUMA present the opening of SHELL, the inaugural program for Esben Weile Kjær’s exhibition at Amant. The program will feature PEARL, a new live performance conceived by the artist. PEARL translates the sculptural contradictions of SHELL into music, movement, repetition, and role-play. The performance will draw out tensions between authenticity and falsehood – echoing the exhibition’s interplay of toy and fortress, softness and aggression, fantasy and form.

PEARL is a new live performance conceived by Esben Weile Kjær. TRAUMA invites a live music program with performances from Fetish, Somewhere Special, and a secret guest, as well as a soundtrack by Croatian Amor.

Produced by Amant and TRAUMA.

Amant programs are always free. RSVPs are required. Doors for the opening of Esben Weile Kjær, SHELL will open at 5pm on Saturday, May 31 in our lot located at 316 Ten Eyck. An RSVP ticket is required for entry. If you can no longer attend, please return your ticket by contacting RSVP@amant.org so we can give your spot to someone on the waiting list.

Esben Weile Kjær (b. 1992) graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2022. His work spans sculpture and performance, drawing on the history of pop culture to investigate themes of nostalgia, authenticity, and generational anxiety. In his performances, installations, and sculptures, he examines identity among his own generation and explores the role of culture and technology in shaping experiences of community and freedom. SHELL is the first solo presentation by the artist in the United States. 

Los Angeles-based artist FETISH (Kole Kimbro) is quickly emerging as a bold new voice in music, blending avant-garde aesthetics with razor-sharp creative direction. Averaging 400K monthly Spotify listeners and 128K TikTok followers, FETISH has featured in Doja Cat’s Agora Hills and Doechii’s Grammy-nominated GTFO. Her debut mixtape KLUBFETISH, executive produced by Chicken Much, marks her as a genre-bending artist to watch.

Somewhere Special is the Brooklyn-based electro-pop duo of Bruno Zero and Simone Alysia, blending electroclash influences with a modern pop sensibility. Through music, video, DJ sets, and live events, Somewhere Special explores coming of age, mental health, love, and friendship, creating an inclusive space for their audience.

TRAUMA is a Berlin-based curatorial platform challenging how conventional art forms are presented and experienced. Founded in 2018, it recently transitioned from a fixed venue to a nomadic model, enabling the commissioning of boundary-pushing, collaborative works across disciplines and geographies. Operating at the intersection of visual art, music, and performance, TRAUMA serves as both infrastructure and instigator.