Students interpret the world through the photo media in a new exhibition in Malmö
On Friday the 23rd of November the group show “Rest Assured in Unknown Places” will open at Galleri Format in Malmö. The exhibition features nine international artists currently studying on the last year of the MFA Programme in Photography at Valand Academy, University of Gothenburg.
The presented works are made using various approaches – from archival material and found images, to the creation of a dialogue between the visual and the written.
– The title “Rest Assured in Unknown Places” refers to some of the theories we've been learning about during our study process. It reflects the insecurities of an art student while trying to be comfortable in learning the artistic process and accelerated experiencing. It also points towards our reflection on the general socio-political and environmental atmosphere, where passing and changes are imminent and necessary. Rest assured in unknown places can mean that we can find a certain tranquillity in order to remain capable of functioning, living and taking on our modern world’s challenges, says Tina Umer who is one of the exhibiting artists.
Some question the definitions and limits of photography, while some utilise the exhibition to look at the medium’s manifestation within the gallery space. For others, photography is an instrument to map, play with questions of representation or simply a means to contemplate.
– There is no underlying theme, however there is a material tactility that follows the works, a discovery irradiating from the medium of photography, bouncing from a mirror and changing form. The works span from photographs on paper, use of graphic material and 3D renders to fabric, threads, wood, mirrors and so on. This awareness of the material is the core of the show, says Tina Umer.
The artist and photographer Annika von Hausswolff is the program leader of the master's program in photography and sees a newly acquired belief in the image as a mediator of stories, ideas and formatting in the exhibition.
– One might imagine that we are tired of photography in the light of today's huge image flow. But on the contrary, there seems to be a need to problematize the image and make use of the codes that the technology offers in order to tell about the world, she says.
Read more about the exhibition on the gallery's webpage: http://galleriformat.nu/en/kommande/upcoming-rest-assured-unknown-places/
You can also read more in the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/256868031850139/
Contact:
- Annika von Hausswolff, phone: +46 73 708 08 88, e-mail: annika.von.hausswolff@akademinvaland.gu.se
- Hallgerður Hallgrímsdóttir, master student, telefon: +46 72 924 2317
Cecilia Köljing
Communications Officer
Valand Academy, University of Gothenburg
Phone: +46 (0)70–141 21 64
E-mail: cecilia.koljing@akademinvaland.gu.se
University of Gothenburg is one of the major universities in Europe, with about 37 800 students and a staff of 6 200. Its eight faculties offer training in the Creative Arts, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Humanities, Education, Information Technology, Business, Economics and Law, and Health Sciences. The University’s unique breadth in education and research provides an interdisciplinary environment conducive to collaboration with private enterprise and public institutions. The quality of the University has earned recognition in the form of numerous awards, including a Nobel Prize, and a steady stream of applicants at all levels.
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