Living in a Modern Society

Opening reception: Wednesday, 16th July, 5 pm, performance with Ton & Gainer.

Living in a Modern Society is a presentation of young Swedish Contemporary Artists. The Swedish Art-scene has changed in a radical way since the early 90-ties. Sweden was, as many countries during the 20th century, in many ways isolated from the Art scenes in Europe and USA. What happened in Berlin, Paris, New York and Los Angeles arrived slowly to Sweden, and most of the time, real influences from abroad came to Sweden through individual Swedish artists that after some time abroad, went home, bringing home new influences.

In the beginning of the 90: ies, when the processes of globalization also become an important part of the art world, more and more artists wanted to travel, and such processes was supported from many countries. And probably, one of the strongest forces bringing forward Swedish artists into the global art scene, was in fact that the art world itself wanted to become global, that meant that the art world needed artist from many different countries and backgrounds, including Swedish artists. Within a few years during the 90: ies, many Swedish artists become well-known names outside Sweden, i.e. Henrik Håkansson and Ann- Sofi Sidén.

The title, Living in Modern Society, is partly ironic, and partly based on the actual condition in Sweden. The selected artists deals with different questions that comes from the process, going from a modern state to be a part of a more complex global situation, the “modern Swedish welfare” has become out of fashion, and dysfunctional to the global order. Many Swedes still considered Sweden to the best nation in the world, but more and more people feels that something is lost. Most of the selected artists work between this opposite poles, been brought up in the Swedish welfare State, and be part of the process of globalization. The selected artists have taken on a more global perspective from the start, they are travelling, they are educated abroad, and they have an international network. Today, many of the most significant Swedish artists live in cities like Berlin, New York or Amsterdam. This process continuing, today there are several hundred Swedish artists living in Berlin. The globalization perspective among the artists will also lead to that it will be harder and harder to try to give a more specific definition of “Swedish Contemporary Art”. Artists are more active to be more independent, finding their own way, in the global art world, and not necessarily finding a position in Sweden. Nevertheless, it is still possible that there are many things that link the selected artists together.

Participating artists: J Tobias Andersson, Conny Blom, Alessandra Di Pisa, Nathalie Djurberg, Åsa Elzén, Carl Johan Engberg, Oscar Guermouche, Karin Hasselberg, Jesper Nordahl, Magnus Petersson, Daniel Segerberg and Ton & Gainer (Klas Eriksson & John Hellberg)

Curator: Martin Schibli, Kalmar Konstmuseum The exhibition is a part of the current biennale for young art in Moscow, Qui Vive.

The exhibition is produced by Kalmar Art Museum in collaboration with NCCA in Moscow with kind support from the Swedish Embassy in Moscow, the Swedish Institute and IASPIS.

Living in a Modern Society
Kurator: Martin Schibli

Künstler: J. Tobias Anderson, Conny Blom, Alessandra Di Pisa, Nathalie Djurberg, Asa Elzen, Carl Johan Engberg, Oscar Guermouche, Karin Hasselberg, Jesper Nordahl, Magnus Petersson, Daniel Segerberg and Ton & Gainer (Klas Eriksson & John Hellberg)