Two weeks ago I began writing a post. Since then it has been sitting on my desktop. Why didn’t I finish and post it at the time? I am sure that it felt somehow incomplete, now I am overly conscious that it must lacked something but I have no idea what and in addition it feels outdated! So as a reminder to myself to get things done I am going to publish it as it stands and repeat these three words to myself three times – ”little and often” …
Last week I became aware of the scale of the Konstkube (Art Cube) project that I am working with. It is definitely the largest project that I have been involved in as an artist. I am one of three artists each of whom will have a three week show in the Konstkube – a shipping container redesigned as a mobile gallery – at one of three locations in Uppsala city early next year. There were ten of us sitting around the conference table fine-tuning the schedule and looking at the associated public programme. The group consisted of artists, the artistic coordinator, the head of arts for Uppsala county, the head of public arts for the city along with two post-graduate placement students, the head of programme at Uppsala Art Museum, and the city’s cultural stategist – two men (both of us artists) and eight women.
Initially the shows had been planned to be slightly shorter and span the Christmas and New Year period. However the feeling at the meeting was that things might easily get lost in the festivities and that pushing things back to February March would be in everyone’s best interests. This was also thought to be more readily agreed by the police and other authorities that are required to give permissions for siting the quite considerable cube in various parts of the city centre. My particular site is the Main Square in the heart of the retail area. I will really have to create something spectacular to compete with the lure of the shops and restaurants in this bustling intersection of shoppers, cyclists, bus passengers, tourists, and students moving between the university’s many disparate campuses. This location was not one that I suggested when we were asked which two of the three options we were most interested in – I had selected the small but central park or the train station. However the coordinator together with head of arts for the county reasoned that my work was the most visual and best suited to grab attention in the already dynamic and vibrant environment.
Often when I am in the studio or just going about things I make (mental) notes of things to write about. Last week it was about ‘packing’ – specifically how I was packing artworks to deliver to a large group show in Stockholm. I did not get even get close to actually writing anything before I was engaged in other activities that lead me down different paths of thought.
Speaking with a friend last night I realised that I keep myself too busy. I really enjoy doing things and perhaps do too many things at the same time. It is easy for me to prioritise doing practical visible things, so when I speak of being busy it is usually refering to physical rather than mental engagement with something. Yet I wonder if these two components might be equally necessary to move things forward in a more sustainable and holistic way.
For as long as I can remember I have admired artists who have good packaging for their artworks. It is something that I aspired to and I toldmyself that when I am successful I too will have well made boxes tailored to individual pieces. Last week I unpacked and re-packed works in preparation for taking them to Stockholm. The studio was soon covered in bin-bags and old cardboard boxes. While I justify these materials in terms of their inexpensiveness it did cross my mind that perhaps I was undervalueing the importance of packaging doing its job well – that is to say protecting the artwork. Size appropriate wooden crates lined with polystyrene (or some environmentally friendly alternative) will provide far greater protection for the increasing number of glitter objects than the doubled bin-bags and ill-fitting old cardboard cartons that they currently occupy. Whether I am consider myself sufficiently successful to warant such investment is not a relevant question – I see now that my youthful ideas were somewhat misplaced. It is not about success, it is about taking myself and my artworks seriously. If I do not take them seriously can I really expect other people to do so?
It has been on my mind, and to do list, to post about Glitter Ball for several weeks now. However getting on with Glitter Ball has taken up all my time leaving none for writing here.
What I can (very) happily say is that there is now www.glitterball.se where there are pictures and information about what is going on and who we are. As my much quoted tutor said ‘don’t get it right, get it done’!
I am all too aware that I need time and space for reflection, and I have enjoyed writing posts to that end, if I could just find time ….
My first meeting with Anna – my mentor on the Konsten att delta (the Art of Participation) programme – went well. We chatted over tea and cake at the studio. The programme matches native Swedish artists with non-native artists now living and working in Sweden, and is the initiative of the national artists’ association. It has only recently been rolled out nationally after a few years of operating in a couple of counties and Stockholm. Although Anna and I appear to have little in common in terms of our actual practices we got along well and spoke mainly about ways of being an artist and how best to make it sustainable – we both quickly established that neither of us earns our living directly from our studio practices!
Anna was easy to speak with and it was good to hear a little about the art-scene in Uppsala – which galleries are taken seriously and (usually) lead to a show being reviewed, which associations it can be good to join, and the opportunities offered by both Uppsala city and Uppsala county – though as I live in Enköping I may not qualify for any ’city based’ schemes or projects. It would be good for me to broaden my horizons and make connections with other artists, getting to know Anna makes this seem much more achievable – popping over to Uppsala for an opening or talk is hardly arduous but certainly nicer if you know someone to say hello to. I hope that she too gets something out of the programme, I will think about what this could be.
Far from least it was good for me to discuss these things in Swedish. It reminded me that it is time to focus on improving my art-Swedish. With the evenings already becoming noticeably darker earlier I should dedicate one a week to actually, and actively, studying Swedish. I have one book that I barely looked at while studying the language at adult education, it should help me both improve and advance my written and oral skills. I should also pay closer attention to the Swedish press-releases that I receive from galleries.
Speaking of press-releases, I have just written one announcing Glitter Ball’s launch and inaugural show. It is in English which makes sense as I am also sending it outside of Sweden. In the future I would like to have a Swedish and an English version. I want to write the Swedish one and have someone proofread it rather than have someone translate my English text.
Tomorrow I meet with the arts correspondent for the local paper in the morning to talk about Glitter Ball, and after lunch I have a meeting in Uppsala about the county’s mobile gallery that I have been invited to exhibit in. I really wish that there were more hours in the day and days in the week.
I will play catch-up later, now I need to say that I have just done -something scarily exciting – I have invited an artist to do the first show at the gallery/project space that I am going to be running!
On Saturday 1 September Fredrik Nielsen – ”poster boy of cool rebellion, rocking an attitude that makes Swedish contemporary glass beat with a pulse”* – will open at Glitter Ball! Nothing like setting oneself a challenge!
So over the coming five weeks I will create a showing space out of a rather shabby corridor in our new studio building, simultaneously organising and promoting the show for Fredrik – a well known and respected artist whom I was lucky enough to meet on my Project Year at the Royal College here (2014). I am truly delighted that he accepted – it’s going to be great!
The idea of having my own ’artist-run space’ has been floating about for a while now – I remember speaking with Fredrik about it at Supermarket art fair in early 2017. At that time I wondered about opening up my home, well living room, as a showroom. I had been inspired by meeting the wonderful and inspiring Jasmin Glaab who runs kunsthallekleinbasel. However I realised that Enköping is not Basel, nor does Sweden have a culture of inviting strangers into one’s home- so potential for ’audience development’ was going to be struck two immediate and severe blows, let alone the potential risk of being seen to run a business illegally from a lease-hold residence (a big no-no in Sweden). The space at the studio is a far better option.
Not only is it in the town centre, it is less than two minutes away from Enköpings public gallery which has a very good reputation and attracts people from neighboring towns and cities as well as locals and even international visitors. Furthermore my studio is right next door (it is literally the other side of doors at the end of the space) so I can easily ’open by appointment’.
I am looking forward to getting in touch with many of the artists who have invited me to show with them, and finally being able to offer them a modest opportunity to do the same. Whilst fitting out and painting, and organising and promoting, I also need to be arranging a programme for both this autumn and spring 2019!
It’s very exciting!
* from Wetterling Gallery, Stockholm who represent Fredrik.
