Day 3: soon, playful surprises in unexpected places – left from yesterday – would yield for an extreme makeover. A cohesive team worked hard for two hours, mounting large canvases and little drawings… while fruits & flowers were put on display in the storefront. Thank you Birgitta, Susanne och Christina! And thank you, Karin, for superb documentation (to be seen elsewhere)!
May 11th: a day of breathing, of extended attention. Nearness; distancing; returning… The beginning of a longer rhythm? A visitor’s intervention intuitively connecting manifestations of motherhood and childhood; frailty, and a hidden treasure. In the evening, a sharing circle opens up to playful, gentle joy. The sky is clearing. A rainbow.
To my joyful surprise, I recently got the opportunity to attend a Winter Symposium with the Nordic Summer University. It took place in Latvian countryside, close to a natural reserve (and out of reach for the internet).
The venue, of course, is an extremely powerful tool in the set-up of such a gathering; framing the whole process, contributing to how knowledge is produced, shared and interpreted.
The overall theme for the NSU Study Circle 7 is The experiential in artistic practice: methods, knowledges and reflective processes. Over three days of Easter, a lovely bunch of artistic researchers, academics and practitioners presented their research and shared practices – as well as hot sauna and icy swims.
Learning about feminist strategies by printmaking, about regenerative farming in Latvia as a base for textile art, and the importance and implications of Wanderlust… Learning from Finnish and Latvian dancers, British artists, a theatre director from Tampere and a Polish philosopher… This has been a unique and inspiring experience in so many ways – not least thanks to Ulla, our exceptional chef! I hope to meet again…
…as I hope for peace, for human awareness towards all earthly beings, and the rebirthing forces of spring.
One of countless solidarity demonstrations for Ukraine was held on Saturday, March 26th at Sergels torg, Stockholm… Flags and banners in yellow and blue. Doves circling above us, under a cloudy sky.
Soon afterwards, the Art for Ukraine auction opened at Birkaterminalen – a former ferry terminal turned art space – arranged by Duo Contradiction, in collaboration with Kollektivet Livet, Ordfront, SILC, Candyland, Studio 44, Östgruppen and others…
…with 167 artworks donated by artists (many wellknown) of a number of nationalities… Disco upstairs, where also tasty borscht was served – of course – and pastry and wine, too. Everything free-from-profit, managed by voluntary work.
Auction starting by five o’clock, resulted in a stunning SEK 270 000 (+26 000 €); artworks not sold will be on display at Ordfront publishing house until April 23rd, when a second auction will take place. All incomes will benefit humanitarian aid organizations in Ukraine.
More on Duo Contradiction/Art for Ukraine!
(Lot 112 was purchased on telephone bidding – to my surprise and delight.)
During the pandemic, many of us have turned to nature to be alone for a while, or to meet with friends; to regain our calm and lust for life… The curators at Selva Studio did, too. Located in the suburban area of Bagarmossen, Stockholm, they were lucky to have access to a nature preserve just around the corner. The idea came up to invite others to share and take care of the forest’s quiet offerings…
…and so, Skogssalong / Salon in the Woods emerged; an outdoor art event, last weekend happening for the third time within a year – from Saturday noon to Sunday evening, February 19th-20th. I got an invitation to let the Moon Kite fly again, this time together with the lovely luminous clouds of Alice Bulukin.
The public response was beyond all expectations: a steady flow of visitors of all ages – long after nightfall even – running and sliding or treading cautiously, marveling and chatting, taking photos and warming by the fire… There was live music, too, and a wealth of artworks by Akay and Olabo, @5000naturreservat, Eka Acosta, Fältlaboratorium (Ewert Ekros, Johan von Schreeb, Mattias Larson, Ola Ilstedt), Gabriel Agut, Idamaria Holmqvist, Isa Winter Maxe, Kjartanistan, Lena Flodman, Lisa Rytterlund, Lotta Sjöberg, Malou Bergman, Nabil Holem, Nina Westman, Perniepaints, Rossana Mercado-Rojas, Tess Oweson… and stunning light installations by Johan Matti, Svart Ljus/Black Light, Joa Palmér and Stina E Stellborn. Here’s a few treats:
Below an assemblage of photos from the hillock of clouds and moon, following broad daylight into winter nightfall and darkness:
Art’s Birthday 2022: Bilder från Nysund / New Sound Images in Gnesta’s Old Watertower
Finally, let’s celebrate! The doors of the Watertower are open; inside, guests are welcomed by an installation of light and ice, glass and water. The green octave paintings – modest in size – are on display along one of the walls. Upon the next three sides of the tower, the pictures transfigure into light projections, opening up to an imaginary summer day.
the Green Octave, projections by Johannes Ferm Winkler
For myself, this is a process equally wondrous and interesting; from the beginning, years ago, where I take a walk immersed in the light and sounds of the surroundings; next, converting my impressions to a small-sized painting; leading up to this joint venture, where the landscape re-emerges by technical means… or, sprung from the inner nature of human minds. The space floating with light and sound… the landscape transcended.
On Monday, January 17, the Art’s Birthday network* will support a webradio streaming, where 25+ art spaces around the globe – from Tokyo to Vancouver – will share photo and audio streams in an interactive mesh.
Above: Fold a Hat outside the Watertower, Gnesta 2022; photos by Johanna Dahl and HHW.
Below: Robert Filliou, Rome 1972; photo by Joaquín Romero
* About Art’s Birthday worldwide: the event was first proposed in 1963 by French artist Robert Filliou, as a public holiday to celebrate the presence of art in our lives. In recent years, the idea has been taken up by a loose network of artists and friends around the world, welcoming new partners working with the ideas of exchange and telecommunications-art. Since 1963, Art’s Birthday has generated parties and gatherings, correspondence and mailart, sound and video art, music composed for telephone lines, radio and (starting in the mid 1990’s) for the Internet – and, following Fillou’s example, the folding of paper hats.
One last day of preparations in the Watertower; installing and trying out sound equipment, mounting paintings, making shutters…
…and attaching them to windows, to keep daylight out; plotting projections, and mending the net of a sinker…
Quiet talking, electronically generated songs of light; sounds of wind and voices, bells and flutes floating within the tower. Tomorrow, Sunday January 16th, we’ll be ready to celebrate with you!
Appearing on photos: Johannes Ferm Winkler together with Ljudtornet members Tomas Björkdal, Erik Peters, Patrick Dallard, Johanna Dahl, Julia Adzuki, Karin Lindström Kolterud; all photos by HHW.
Ljudtornet preparing for Art’s Birthday in the Watertower; testing new projectors, piloted by Johannes Ferm Winkler in the most gracious way. A setup is forming…
At the same time, in other places: celebrations of Art and of the waters at Nysund are evolving. Sound art, installations and music by Erik Peters, Karin Lindström Kolterud, Tomas Björkdal, Johanna Dahl, Rolf Schuurmans, Patrick Dallard and Julia Adzuki will all flow together here in the next couple of days. Welcome to the Old Watertower in Gnesta on Sunday! Or listen worldwide via Art’s Birthday network on Monday.
(all photos by HHW.)
Ljudtornet/Soundtower on the Bridge; a field recordings excursion to Nysund… Preparations for Art’s Birthday 2022 continue.
Julia Adzuki, Patrick Dallard, Karin Lindström Kolterud and Rolf Schuurmans exploring the soundscape
at Nysund bridge; photo HHW.
Hanging in the garden; photo credit Toshiko Watanabe
After some nerve-racking delay (due to the Swedish postal service), the transport box finally arrived in Yokohama – just a few days before the opening. Back home, I could draw a sigh of relief as our colleagues from EAJAS took over…
They, in turn, were now heading for another intense work phase; nineteen Japanese artists, and sixteen Swedish, have been selected for the group show. The curating and hanging of artworks by 30+ artists in this historic site is no little task! As expected, our Japanese friends took excellent care of it all. Art in the Garden – Contemporary Art from Sweden, part III opened on April 28th in the Sankeien Garden of Yokohama.
Gray I, Blue I on display in Sankeien Garden, Yokohama; photo credit Toshiko Watanabe
From the other side of the globe, we’re truly grateful for this photo documentation of the hanging process and results; it almost makes up for not being able to visit. Come stroll along with us in the garden…
Helena Hildur W. 