The first year students at Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm are presenting their first public display of art, by way of the exhibition Nobel Creations, which sees students in pairs interpreting literary works by six female Nobel laureates in literature, on view now at Stockholm Public Library (Until December 20). The project is rendered a certain urgence and poignancy in light both of recent affairs in the literary sphere domestically in Sweden and women’s movements internationally. Notably in this regard, the students have all been supervised in their work by the former permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy; Sara Danius. The interdisciplinary air thematically is grand, suffice it to say, but even more so looking at the way the various designs and creations have actually found their commanding positions in the installments around the various corners of the library designed by legendary architect Gunnar Asplund. Images of the six creations have beautifully been shot by the wonderful photographer Louise Enhörning and are presented below.
Erika Haglund & Ronja Berg interpreting Herta Müller's "The Hunger Angel" (2009). Of the author's work, the students have offered a motivation; "[Herta] who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed"
Laureate year: 2009
Gabriella Danerlöv & Mathlda Gueve interpreting Svetlana Aleksijevitj's "War's Unwomanly Face" (1985) "For her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time" Laureate year: 2015
Michelle Klemendez & Yanis Dorey interpreting Tori Morrison's "Beloved" (1987) "Who in novels chracterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality" Laureate year: 1993
Britta Åsåker, Marte Stensrud & Niklas Gustavsson interpreting Selma Lagerlöfs' "The Emperor of Portugalia" (1914) "In appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings"
Laureate year: 1909
Filippa Agaton & Sarah Niklasson interpreting Sigrid Undset's "Kristin Lavransdotter" (Book 1) "Principally for her powerful depictions of life in Scandinavia during the Middle-Ages" Laureate year: 1928
Christina Leube & Siri Gertonsson interpreting Doris Lessing's "The Golden Notebook" (1962) "That epicist of the female experience, who with skepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny"
Laureate year: 2007
All images courtesy of Beckmans College of Design and Louise Enhörning.
Nobel Creations is on view at the Stockholm Public Library (Sveavägen 73) through December 20.
www.beckmans.se