16 DANCES
In 16 Dances, Tine Poppe transforms botanical waste — leaves, stems, petals and plant fragments — into unexpected mystical and surreal figures. Through an intuitive and partly aleatoric process inspired by the experimental music and ideas of John Cage, chance plays a central role in how these natural materials meet, settle and take shape. Botanical remnants become the raw matter from which fleeting fairy-tale presences appear, as if nature momentarily reveals its hidden inhabitants.
The works may also resonate with the imaginative landscapes of Norwegian folk tales, where forests, mountains and meadows were believed to be inhabited by mystical creatures — trolls hidden in rocky terrain, elves dancing in fields, and other unseen presences dwelling in the natural world. These tales were preserved in the mid 19th century book by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, whose collections of folk narratives captured a cultural understanding of nature as a place alive with mystery and spirit.
By working with fragments that have been discarded, the series also reflects cycles of growth, decay and renewal. In a time marked by ecological crisis, these botanical waste transformations suggest that even within what we consider waste, imagination and life can reappear — and urge us to reconnect with the natural world and treat it with curiosity and great care.
Exhibition at Ringebu Prestegard, Norway 21th March to 5th April 2026