Hello there one and all, ye in Stockholm and beyond.
What rather fine weather we are having just now?! (Although it is 28 degrees today in my home village of Scotland I’ll have you know! However, I’m going to systematically train my lily white skin to appreciate and respond to your consistently good summer sun. I’ll have a tan yet me hearties!!) It’s been glorious, and after witnessing the splendid Extra Life the other night on a dwindling warm evening in the city centre, their music has been the soundtrack of my day, visiting the degree show (of Bachelor and Masters) at the Konstfack/Art School over in Telefonplan (ends this weekend!). Great to finally see it, and I feel a bit of a doofus having drawn a Mother gig in restaurang Landet not having realised it was straight across the road from it. (It was dark! It was snowing! – Do I get away with my lack of observancy?)
Okay, so things to recommend you see at the Art School – The Jewellery Department – very sculptural, beautiful, intriguing and very well presented. I’m not sure if even every display was designed and made down to the very hinges and screws. My two favorites were Mia Larsson with her ‘Moving Matter’ – incredible creativity with mussel and oyster shells reclaimed from restaurants as well as Hiroko Nakajima with her absurd sense of fun and absurdity – You are invited to get involved with her exhibits in relocating the ghostly but endearing floating orbs or fat spherical clear balloons – they look as though they are engineered from glass and clouds, with a slender silver ribbon tethering them to the ground via a tiny glam little glove akin to something Michael Jackson(RIP)’s children might sport. There’s also some jingly-jangling and creepy wheezy squeeeeeking things…
I’d also recommend checking out the Jonestown Library – a table of arranged books from the list of said library, with a slideshow of quotes from those that lived there, those who wrote the books, and those who commented on the situation in Jonestown.
The above exhibits are in the faculty opposite the main entrance, which hosts the larger part of the degree show.
I would definitely recommend some of the other departments in the main building. Textiles, Design with Intelligence, Storytelling (particularly the trailer Dyke Hard – a musical/action/sci-fi/martial arts/etc Blockbuster – has to be seen to be believed). See if you can also get to see Yun Yu’s ‘Bouncing Thoughts‘ presentation – might be 1pm or 3pm, or even maybe 2pm. I would also recommend you take a look at her room partner Cho-Jui Weng, especially if you’ve ever travelled, been a stranger, appreciate being in a moment, and soundscapes. There’s a pair of headphones with a 30 min soundscape created by sound artist Mingtse Chen who I also happened to meet in Glasgow at quite a few artsome/musicsome events. (Cho-Jui or ‘Ray’ as she’s also known, and Mingtse are both from Taiwan where I spent 3 splendid years of my life.)
In Textiles I was quite astounded with the idiosyncratic beauty of Emilie Florin‘s work. Stunning etching work and wood carving that you don’t even get a smidge of an idea from the website page. I was also highly intrigued by Karin Hermansson’s ‘Girl’s Club’. I wish I’d stayed for longer and listened to the stories.
For some more hard hitting current affairs/design, I would especially recommend you see Karin Rubing’s ‘Fair Electronics’ display in the Industrial Design section.
And now, Dans Dakar!!!
Yes, I’ve applied the sunscreen and I’m off to draw at Dans Dakar, and most specifically Slagsmålsklubben. Going to try a bit of Bloody Beetroots, Digitalism, F.O.O.L (Fuck Our Ordinary Lives) and if possible Dödselectro (Death Electro) too.
iPad all the way, that is if it’s possible in this blinding sunshine. Crank it up.
Drawing Sweden 