The Danish photographer and documentary filmmaker Michella Bredahl presents her video work Family (2024) in a new exhibition at Breaking. Together with an accompanying installation, the exhibition creates an intimate universe where personal narratives and fragmented memories intertwine.
Through a blend of archival footage and newly recorded material, a dreamlike story unfolds in which time flows freely between past and present — from family gatherings to the apartment blocks of Bredahl’s childhood neighborhood in Høje Gladsaxe, Denmark. Two siblings grasp a bedspread, a fleeting symbol of unity meant to bring them together rather than pull them apart.
The bed is a central element in the exhibition, functioning both as a safe haven and a vulnerable refuge. It is simultaneously part of the story itself, carrying traces of what was once hidden from the outside world, but that now finds space in an open setting. In the exhibition, we meet young women who have grown up with mothers affected by addiction and difficult life circumstances. Their stories reflect how the imprint of childhood shapes adult life and relationships.
With Family, Bredahl poses the questions: How does our upbringing affect us, and how can we break the patterns we no longer wish to carry forward? Through film and installation, she explores how pain and loss can be transformed into reflection and change.
Source: Fotografisk Center