OLDER is proud to present Memory Curtains, the debut exhibition by the multidisciplinary studio founders Morten Thuesen and Letizia Caramia, hosted at Dropcity in Milan. The exhibition features eight large-scale screen prints encased in monolithic wooden crates, creating a fusion of photography, painting, and architecture, delving into the theme of memories. Complementing the display, a series of public workshops will be conducted throughout the exhibition period, led by acclaimed screen printer Andrea Baldelli.
As a multidisciplinary practice, OLDER’s work spans various genres, from organic uniforms to furniture design. Now, for the first time in their own name, the co-founders venture into the realm of exhibitions, debuting with their inaugural show. The exhibition Memory Curtains exists at the intersection of photography, painting, and architecture. Each of the eight pieces exhibited originates as a photograph, which is digitised, transferred onto fabric and stretched over large-scale iron frames. The motifs, drawn from analogue photographs taken by Thuesen over the past decade, depict naturalistic and urban scenes devoid of specific locations. Exhibited for the first time as constructed artefacts, these images are encased in monolithic wooden crates, traditionally used for transporting artworks, and paired with static light installations designed to filter light through the structures. By juxtaposing these diverse, seemingly unrelated photographic subjects on framed screens, the exhibition evokes an isolated, imaginary architecture.
Each screen print functions as a photographic snapshot, akin to frames from a storyboard, telling independent stories that seamlessly harmonise to form a unified composition or a trail of memory. The exhibition delves into themes of memory: its storage, recall, and the ephemeral nature of moments. Rather than conveying a specific message, Memory Curtains constructs a subtly implied architecture through its interplay of light and physical form. Ambiguity serves as the analytical lens, illuminating each frame while inviting interpretation.
“The title Memory Curtains has been a thread in our work for over a decade, evolving quietly until it felt ready to surface. It began as a collaborative photo project and took on new life when we were asked to contribute on a project for which we screen printed an artwork featuring Morten’s motif onto various fabrics. We found ourselves captivated by the raw screens—the essence of the process itself—more than the finished prints. This exhibition marks a shift for us—it’s the first time we’re presenting under our own names, with OLDER as the platform rather than the presenter. This project is deeply personal, born from passion rather than market demand, and reflects who we’ve become through OLDER. It’s a culmination of years of experimentation and a step toward something that feels entirely our own” state Thuesen and Caramia. The exhibition is set at Dropcity, a venue dedicated to exploring, imagining, and testing alternative approaches to design and architecture in the context of systemic global crises; it fosters the emergence of boundary pushing ideas and supports their material realization. Running parallel to the exhibition is a public screen-printing workshop, part of Dropcity’s program, led by acclaimed screen printer Andrea Baldelli. Throughout the exhibition, Baldelli will screenprint a series of motifs by Thuesen and Caramia onto archive rugs and blankets supplied by renowned rug maker cc-tapis.
