Mike Nelson’s work has centered on the transformation of narrative structure to spatial structure, and on the objects placed within them, immersing the viewer and agitating their perception of these environments. The narratives employed by the artist are not teleological, but multi-layered, and often fractured to the extent that they could be described as a semblance of ‘atmospheres’, put together to give a sense of meaning. Often, the works rely on their ambiguity to fade in and out of focus, both in the way that they are experienced and understood. This has led to the possibility of the viewer being coerced into a state where the understanding of the varied structures of their existence, both conscious and sub-conscious, are made tangible.

For Sandwich, Mike continues his often itinerant life with an intervention that hopes to both mimic and immerse itself into the building and site itself. To do this, he has used elements from the vicinity and articulated them within a purpose built structure whose trap-like appearance aggravates the ambiguities of the objects found.

The show marks the return of Mike Nelson to Bucharest after a period of twenty years, the three month period spent here then was both a formative and productive period that laid the foundations for many of his subsequent works. The artist, who represented Britain at the Venice Biennale in 2011 (with the project I, IMPOSTOR), had been, in 1996, on a residency with the European organisation Pepinières, at the Art Academy in Bucharest. On this occasion, besides getting in contact with the local art scene, he presented the solo show No can Teach A Dog Old Tricks New at the Gallery of the Arts University.