o great happinessgreat happiness have they got,who were born in the lowest country – everywhere you can see them wandering loving crying – everywhere they walk,but in their hands they carry little things from the lowest country.–Gustaf Munch-Petersen,The Lowest Country.

Installation view 1

Objects carry a spirit—a resonance that surpasses their physical form and outlasts the passage of time,dwelling in a realm of meaning that speaks to memory, essence, and transformation. InThe Small Things/ From the Lowest Land, the works of British artistAnousha Payne(b. 1991)and Danish sculptorSonjaFerlov Mancoba(1911–1984) converge in a dialogue that transcends generations and geographies.Mancoba, a central figure in Danish modernism, crafted sculptures that delve into the existential andcultural conditions of human life, reflecting her utopian belief in art’s power to inspire social change.Her connection to the revolutionary surrealist movement and her involvement with groups such asLinien, Høst, and Cobra underscore her fascination with non-Western cultures, particularly Africanimagery—a thread woven throughout her practice and echoed in the work of her contemporaries.

Installation view 2

Payne’s practice resonates with Mancoba’s focus on human existence, using glazed ceramics, bronze,found objects, and the fluid gestures of watercolor, ink, and oil on canvas to explore the universallanguage of form. Together, their works interlace themes of spirituality, storytelling, and the sharedhuman condition into a tapestry of meaning. These creations murmur with a quiet potency, resonatingwith unspoken truths and enduring as timeless echoes of our collective consciousness.

Reflecting on this shared dialogue, Anousha Payne shares her perspective on the exhibition:

*”The exhibition stems from an affinity and an ongoing conversation; the striving to depict the ‘inhumanlyhuman, humanly inhuman.’ I first encountered Sonja Ferlov Mancoba’s work five years ago at her retrospectiveat SMK in Copenhagen. I was initially drawn to what I would describe as her sculptures of ‘prehistoricemojis’—a kind of universal, simplified version of a face, abstracted to the point of being unplaceable in time.These forms could belong to 2024 or 1604.

Installation view 3

Her aim to create images that transcend temporal and cultural boundaries, offering a universal languageof human connection, deeply aligns with my own practice. Mancoba’s interest in imagery from other agesand cultures sought to convey the human body as a universal presence, embodying experiences that extendbeyond the individual. This resonates with my own work, as I strive to develop shared codes and languagesthat connect to the essence of what it means to be human..”*

2At the heart ofThe Small Things / From the Lowest Landlies the concept of the ready-made, orobjettrouvé—found objects reimagined as integral elements of art, challenging and expanding traditionalnotions of artistic creation. Rooted in the Dada and Surrealist movements of the early 20th century,this approach, pioneered by artists such as Hans Arp and Kurt Schwitters, influenced Mancoba’s earlysculptural assemblages. Today, this legacy finds renewed expression in Payne’s works, where foundobjects are seamlessly integrated into biomorphic sculptures imbued with personal narratives andsymbolic resonance.

Installation view 4

As Payne explains, these objects act as vessels for memories and symbols, bridging her personalexperiences with broader, universal ideas. Her sculptures, blending human, animal, and mythic forms,create a space where folklore and spiritual symbolism merge with a contemporary interpretation oftheobjet trouvétradition. These works embody André Breton’s notion ofobjet trouvéas a “randomencounter” with objects that resonate with one’s innermost desires, forging an evocative connectionto both the tangible world and the intangible realms of meaning and memory.

Installation view 5

The practices of Anousha Payne and Sonja Ferlov Mancoba reveal striking parallels, grounded in a sharedbelief in art as a universal language that fosters connection and community. Both artists intertwinepersonal narratives with collective symbolism, delving into themes of transformation—where figuresmerge with animals, found objects reflect humanity, and the interconnectedness of all things comes tothe forefront. Their works transcend temporal and cultural boundaries, demonstrating the capacity ofvisual language to communicate beyond words. As Sonja Ferlov Mancoba aptly wrote,“… Only througheach other can we live and breathe, and no-one creates alone …”

Newchild
Geuzenstraat 16
2000 Antwerpen
Belgium

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