Just checked in to my treat hotel … I have a view over the National Library – which is literally called the Royal Library – that reminds me that I haven’t yet enquired about seeing the Nils Santesson archives. Nils Santesson was tried and convicted for his homosexuality in 1907 … there’s that year again … he took photographs of Eugène Jansson, his models, and his lover(s) in Eugène’s studio. In addition to personal correspondence and accounts given my a lover’s parents the photographs were part of the evidence presented against Santesson in court. This court case, which ruined Santesson, is regarded as a turning point in public opinion regarding homosexuality. However it was not until 1944 that homosexuality was decriminalised … and although it was decriminalised it became classified as a sickness. So Eugène’s participation in the Verdandi Spring Exhibition is against the backdrop of his friend’s prosecution.
On the train here I received notice that Ashik Zaman, both a selector and curator for Liljevalch’s/Stockholm’s (Sweden’s??) Spring Exhibition had tagged me in an Instagram post – he is a truly active Instagramer! – this post featuring pictures of the preview in Dagens Nyheter (one of the two national quality papers). There is a paragraph refering to the queer work in the show and though no artists are named mine is one of the works that is cited – a colourful collection of ties (’en färggrann slipskollektion’). This is very exciting! In the online version of the paper there is a picture of the work along with my name – my artist friend M alerted me to this in an excited phone call. I got a bit tearful – tears of happines and relief … I am a little nervous now about how I will react this evening.
The online photo is the first glimpse of the work installed (It doesn’t show everything) and I have to say that from what I can see it looks good – plenty of space between the different colour groups. And my name there in print … on DN’s website … in the preview for the Spring Exhibition!
Now to take it easy for a while before getting dressed up and heading off to the ’artists’ preview’ …
