Ode to Creode

The video work Ode to Creode (2022) and the pair of sculptures Ode to Creode X (2022) and Ode to Creode Y (2022), are based on Nymann's studies of mnemonic techniques and genetic dynamics throughout history. Together, the sculptures and video engage in reflections on the relationship between genetics and memory, heritage and environment, past and future.

The artworks were created for the group exhibition Museum for Fremtiden / Museum for the Future – a visual arts exhibition and participatory theatre performance.

Constellation of works
O Sing _ Ode to Creode (oSOtO) (2022)
HD video, 10:47 min loop with sound, dimension variable

X ODE TO CREODE (XOtC) (2022)
164 x 158 x 72
Sand, paint metal, polystyrene, marble balls

Y ODE TO CREODE (YOtC) (2022)
164 x 60 x 55
Sand, paint, metal, polystyrene, marble balls

In the sculptural video installation Ode to Creode, video, sculpture, and an invitation to sing converge in a quest to envision new landscapes—both inner and outer, human and more-than-human. The work draws inspiration from the ideas of biologist C.H. Waddington (1905–1975), a pioneer in the fields of epigenetics and evolutionary developmental biology. Ode to Creode explores Waddington’s concept of the "creode," a term he coined as a neologistic portmanteau from the Greek words kreo (necessity) and hodos (path), representing the developmental pathways that cells follow as they differentiate and specialize into various forms and functions within an organism.

Waddington’s creode is often illustrated through his metaphor of a marble rolling down a contoured landscape, known as the “epigenetic landscape.” In this model, imagine multiple marbles set in motion at the top of a sloped surface. As they roll downward, their trajectories are shaped by the environment—defined by ridges, grooves, and valleys carved into the landscape. These pathways guide the marbles toward different resting points at the base, symbolizing the specific fates of cells as they undergo differentiation. The grooves represent developmental constraints and possibilities, showing how genetic potential is influenced, but not rigidly determined, by environmental factors.

This metaphor emphasizes that development is both dynamic and context-dependent, highlighting how small changes—such as genetic mutations or environmental influences—can shift developmental pathways and, over evolutionary timescales, alter the anatomy and function of organisms. Ode to Creode reflects on this metamorphic vision, inviting viewers to consider not only biological evolution but also how personal, cultural, and ecological landscapes are continuously shaped through interaction, adaptation, and transformation

The artworks in the exhibition Museum for Fremtiden / Museum for the Future presented alternatives to the sinister visions of the future which permeates our present time as it is faced with the doom of climate crisis. Museum for Fremtiden / Museum for the Future brought forth different ways to let ourselves reimagine our relationship with not only ourselves but also our age and place in history.
The works reached back to primeval times, interventions with the processes of human biology and demonstrated that humanity is deeply connected and intertwined with other organisms and life forms.

Credits
Cinematographer: Troels Rasmus Jensen, DFF
Colorist: Olesya Kireeva
Gaffer: Malik Thomas
Performers: Dorte Bjerre Jensen, Elijah Nagady, Kasper Jensen, Pierre Enaux, Snore Elvin
Styling and set-design: Nanna Rosenfeldt-Olsen
Costume: Prisca Vilsbol
Digital Post Production: Nordisk Film Shortcut
In-house Post Producer: Maggie Winther Hansen

Museum for Fremtiden / Museum for the Future was supported by:
Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond, Aarhus Kommune, A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til Almene Formaal, Augustinus Fonden, Bikubenfonden, Det Obelske Familiefond, Knud Højgaards Fond, New Carlsberg Foundation, Novo Nordisk, The Arts Council of Denmark and William Demant Fonden

Read more about the exhibition at Teater Sort/Hvid and Kunsthal Aarhus.

Artists: Helene Nymann, Ferdinand Ahm Krag, Studio ThinkingHand
Text and production: Christian Lollike
Dramaturge and curator: Anders Thrue Djurslev
Light design: Morten Kolbak
Sound design: Asger Kudahl

The publication "Museum for Fremtiden / Museum of the Future" was published by Antipyrine on the occasion of the exhibition. A readable version of the conversation between Anders Thrue Djurslev and Helene Nymann to be found here.