Julie Edel Hardenberg

My Siblings and I is an introspective series of self- and sibling portraits that the artist took with both her Inuit Kalaallit and Danish relations. The works reflect on their respective understandings of self in relation to one another, and their shared yet vastly different experiences of the Danish colonization of Kalaallit Nunaat / Greenland. The artist draws a comparison between family and nation, considering the state of being a part of something and yet not.

Edel Hardenberg said, “I didn't grow up with my biological Danish father, but I got in touch with him when I was 17, and subsequently met his family. When you look at the people in the picture, you´ll see the ethnic similarities and differences between me and my siblings, which make it clear to me that culture is at stake. [...] The hardest thing is when you realize the limits of the discourse surrounding colonialism, since they don´t have the initial understanding nor the vocabulary to even begin the discussion. It is very challenging being the one who articulates those issues, especially among Danes who still think they are helping us develop our society – also from a historic perspective; that they were the most humane among the inhumane colonizers of the world, and expecting gratitude in return.”