There Might Be Corners but the Center Is on the Move
Helén Svensson, Anna Nyberg, Ella Tahkolahti and Nikki Jääskeläinen
Köttinspektionen, Uppsala
Oct 23 - Nov 13 2023
Installation view, There Might Be Corners but the Center Is on the Move, Köttinspektionen, Uppsala. Photo Courtesy of the artists
The long-term and interrelational artistic project There Might Be Corners but the Center Is on the Move is a most fascinating one, emphasizing site-specificity and architecture, involving a group of four contemporary artists; two Swedes; Helén Svensson and Anna Nyberg and two Finns; Ella Tahkolahti and Nikki Jääskeläinen. The group just opened the third iteration of this exhibition vehicle, at Köttinspektionen in Uppsala following two past exhibitions in Malmö (Molekyl gallery) and in Finland (K17 in Sipoo). At the core an aspect of this project is the artists’ renegotiating their need for control by allowing each other really “in” and opening their artistic production up at the disposal of the remaining group. In practice this happens by way of each bringing and contributing parts of their work into a collective body for use that is seen primarily as material and building blocks for these site-specific exhibitions when reappropriating a new space. As such each member significantly and in a hands-on fashion navigate their way through artistic expressions created by the others. This is a very inspiring instance of collective exhibition-making with a shared “economy”, husbanding your artistic production as an artist to be (re)used beyond an individual context of singular authorship. The group make it look so effortless and easy at Köttinspektionen but in essence something so effortless-looking tends to rather be very effortful, and especially this must be so when that tricky balance between unprecious playfulness and refinement is struck up so visibly and evidently well.
Installation view, There Might Be Corners but the Center Is on the Move, Köttinspektionen, Uppsala. Photo: Courtesy of the artists
The optics of this exhibition: beautiful and delicate, despite what is a complex and imposing space. I realize the dialogue in the group must be very potent to arrive at this result. Artists in general and their idiosyncrasies after all, you know? A distinct feature is there’s a constant act of referencing; both the current architecture, e.g. with mirrors, as well as self-referencing the project via past architectures that have housed the project, which compellingly tenses up the spatial navigation as you are inside Köttinspektion. This will go down as a very memorable exhibition, come the end of the year. The center might be on the move but it very much will…hold.
Ashik Zaman
Installation view, There Might Be Corners but the Center Is on the Move, Köttinspektionen, Uppsala. Photo: Courtesy of the artists
Installation view, There Might Be Corners but the Center Is on the Move, Köttinspektionen, Uppsala. Photo: Courtesy of the artists
Installation view, There Might Be Corners but the Center Is on the Move, Köttinspektionen, Uppsala. Photo: Courtesy of the artists
Installation view, There Might Be Corners but the Center Is on the Move, Köttinspektionen, Uppsala. Photo: Courtesy of the artists