Robert Julian B. Hvistendahl’s sculptures and installations seem at first glance to be motionless. On closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that they have a built-in-tension that suggests they can disintegrate, break up or explode at any moment. This built-in-tension contrasts with the materials and objects that Hvistendahl makes use of in his works. No matter whether it is a question of timber, rubber bands or glass objects, they appear to be unnoticed and undramatic in their everydayness. This points to the fact that even the smallest thing exerts an effect, not only in art but also in life. Transferred to society, this state of tension that arises in Hvistendahl’s art can remind us of the complex and dynamic relation between the individual and society as a whole.
– Text from the catalogue for the exhibition On Adaptation.