‘A Scenario’
Verkstad Konsthall – Norrköping, Sweden
On display February 27, 2021 – March 28, 2021
Curated by Susanne Ewerlöf
A balance act between narrating a specific story and creating an open ended speculative situation this exhibition suggests a moment in time with an approaching storm and place that is clearly a home; but when and where this shelter is located might be anything but obvious for the person who enters it. With a starting point in one particular story this exhibition aims towards numerous storylines; about the homes that protects and isolates us, about the outside world and its threats and pleasures and how decisions made today projects into the future.
Leaning on speculative literature in general and the short story “Mother of Invention” by Nnedi Okorafor more explicitly, this project offers an experience to speculate on. What has happened here and what is about to take place? Using scenography, artefacts produced within the realm of art, craft and everyday life, together with time-based media this scenario is intricate and may play out in numerous ways.
Nanna Debois Buhl (DK) has explored artistic, poetic, philosophical and scientific aspects of cloud behaviour; i e weather; which she presents in the exhibition in the form of a series of photos, a video and a poem written by a machine learning model. The concept of the gathering clouds or the approaching storm is a common metaphor when describing a mental state or unsecure situation.
Aiming to create a scenario set in an uncertain place at an uncertain time the set up in the exhibition has a clear reference to the short story “Mother of invention” set in a future “New Delta” in Nigeria. Here we meet Anwuli as she realises that she will have to give birth to her child alone with her smart home Obi 3 as her only comfort, aid and protection from an imminent, ominous pollen storm. The story was released online in 2018, with gif-illustrations by Shyama Golden (US). These images are now presented in the exhibition giving Anwuli and the baby boy a presence in the space as focus of this narrative.
Obi 3; being inspired by Anwuli’s belly protecting the growing child from all possible dangers, foreseeing how recent climate chaos might create a life threatening situation for the small family and having been in tuned with Anwulis emotional and practical needs it doesn’t only support her through child birth it also raises a protective steel wall around itself at the moment the storm arrives and gets up on four legs to walk to safer grounds.
Fanny Ollas (SE) is a ceramist who has created objects that refer to furniture and artefacts that might be found in a home such as lamps or vases, but give them emotional expressions. They tell stories about relations, fears, aspirations and desires and in this exhibition they are presented as part of the scenography and bearers of possible narratives while also being sculptures in their own right.
Linda Lamignan (NO) working with objects, performance and video has investigated the trade and cultural exchange between Norway and Nigeria in numerous projects. While criticising the exploitation of earth and humans they also offers a hope by proposing futuristic scenarios with greater consciousness and new levels of understanding. In the exhibition they will show objects, paintings made with wax and a video work.
For this exhibition artist and composer Tomas Nordmark (SE) has created a new composition providing its own layers of atmosphere and narrative to the space. This continues his exploration of the unknown, specifically in popular culture, and interest in speculating on the future of music, which he has previously presented in film, music albums, opera, public installations and more.