With summer just around the corner, art schools everywhere are inviting the general public to their premises to take part of the work of their graduating MFA and BFA students. We take a look at the annual spring exhibition at Konstfack in Stockholm which presents an array of works from its 154 graduates.
Making for one of the recurring art highlights of late spring, is the graduation show at Konstfack showcasing the works of its graduating MFA and BFA students. This year's show, curated by artist Jonas Nobel, encompasses the entire premises of the former LM Ericsson factory with presentations from all seven sections. Like very often with these shows, as a visitor time tends to be an enemy and yet with eyes diligently wandering around, a handful of artists with particularly distinctive practices among the bunch, offering a more novel practice, remain glued to mind and are presented below. Moreoever, well-worth recognizing is the Ceramics and Glass section which collectively represents the most inventive eye this year.
Alexander Tallén Tomorrow's sculptor in the making, Alexander Tallén has already gained his share of notoriety and had his work exhibited, most recently by Stene Projects during the recent edition of Stockholm Art Week and previously by the late Crystal Gallery in Stockholm. A graduate of the Ceramics and Glass section, Alexander Tallén lends himself to his beautiful and remarkably evocative presentation in so far that his characteristic and endearing bearded male figurines appear as fictive alter egos of the artist himself, with each hinting at stories borne what with their expressive faces and at times fantasy-like settings. Resonating well with our times, the great appeal of the figurines proved very evident among the photographing crowd at Konstfack.
Mirja Leierth Also a graduate of the Ceramics & Glass section, is Mirja Leierth whose dimmed and almost surreal presentation extends to both wall-based and floor-based installation works; beautiful compositions of flourescent light strips and twisted stucco lists. The project, Haunted Forms, sets out to question aesthetical preferences within the field of craft.
Lotta Grimborg Lotta Grimborg is a graduate of Ädellab, a programme which focuses on jewelry as art form. Lotta's practice addresses notions of gender and sexuality and her graduation project My body is not your canvas examines what occurs when feminity moves from body to object. For the project, she's created sculptural objects by the use of materials that traditionally are associated with feminitiy such as stockings, nail polish and lipstick.
Erik Malmsten It's with great regret that we missed Erik Malmsten's (Fine Art) bachelor show back in November. Having instantly been drawn to the online documentation of his sublime video projections of nude male bodies confined inside evidently narrow spaces, we were thrilled to catch parts of his graduation project Jag vill kunna älska din blick (I'd like to be able to love your gaze) at the ongoing show.
Viktor Fordell Fellow Fine Art (Bachelor) graduate Viktor Fordell is having a bit of a moment with recent stints in group shows at Galleri Bon and Belenius/Nordenhake as well as having had his graduation project Love at first flight exhibited in the downstairs space of the latter. The project which offers a freshness in its composition and execution alludes to globalisation and consumption, and sees neatly plexiglass mounted collages made of paper sickness bags collected on board airplanes and prints of aircraft interiors. The spring exhibition at Konstfack runs through May 24 (LM Ericsson Väg 14, Stockholm) For more information about Konstfack and its spring exhibition, please visit www.konstfack.se www.konstfack2015.se