• Photo by Joakim Forsgren

    Fatima Moallim and the will to live

    Written by Natalia Muntean

    I think art that displays inability and insecurity is more rewarding,” says Fatima Moallim about her approach to being an artist and creating whilst being plagued by feelings of doubt.

    Born in Moscow to Somali parents and raised in the million program outside Växjö, Moallim is a self-taught artist and has gained recognition for her performative works, particularly her unique approach to drawing using chalk, pencil, sharpie pens, and oil crayons. Moallim's works are spread across various mediums, from drawing and sculpture to performance and installation, creating a seamless blend of memories and present moods.

    Fatima Moallim has Moallim has exhibited site-specific works at Moderna Museet Stockholm, Gothenburg Konsthall, Marabouparken, Zinkensdamm subway station in Stockholm and on the glass facade of Bonniers konsthall. She is represented in the collection of the British Museum, Moderna Museet, Gothenburg Museum of Art, Ståhl Collection, The Statens Konstråd’s collection, Vinge Advokatbyrå Collection and was the 2022 Iaspis Studio Grant Holder ISCP, New York. Her latest exhibition, “Viljan att Leva,” currently showcased at Konstakademien until March 2nd, provides the audience with a glimpse into Moallim's inner world.

    Natalia Muntean: Could you tell us more about your exhibition “Viljan att leva”? What themes or concepts are explored in this collection of works?
    Fatima Moallim:
    Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts – an explosion of my inner thoughts that I can’t get rid of. I see buildings, structures, and the city’s inner forms and corners. I get stuck with an image in my head, and it can take weeks or months before all of a sudden I see myself in the studio in front of a huge finished drawing. It’s almost like it just appeared.

    NM: How did the experience of living in New York influence and shape the pieces displayed in this exhibition?
    FM:
    I lived in New York for a year, right next door to the Whitney Museum. I spent a lot of time in front of the large works by all the great artists that you never get to see in Sweden. That inspired me to work bigger and bolder. I don’t think I would have done the same kind of work if it wasn’t for my New York scholarship.

    NM: You mentioned that your creative process is neurotic, and you often doubt the quality of your work. Can you elaborate on how this doubt contributes to the authenticity of your art?
    FM:
    It is easy as an artist to hide behind elaborate details or gestures. That doesn’t interest me. I think that art that displays inability and insecurity is more rewarding.

    NM: Your previous works, such as “Flyktinglandet,” explored your family's journey from Mogadishu to Moscow and eventually to Växjö and Gislaved. How has your Somali heritage influenced your artistic journey, and do you continue to explore it in your current work?
    FM:
    When I set the titles for my work I think it comes easy to me thanks to my Somali heritage. In the nomadic lifestyle, poetry and storytelling were the most important creative act and Somalia is one of the strongest poetic nations. I grew up with poetry and literature as a natural part of everyday life.

    NM: Could you share more about the relationship between Various Artists and your visual art, particularly in terms of improvisation and collaboration?
    FM:
    For me, starting a band without knowing anything about music, has a lot to do with exposing yourself to uncomfortable situations. In that sense, it is similar to what I try to achieve with my drawings. That said, I collaborate with extremely talented artists, like singer Sofia Jernberg and sculptor Ida Ida Ida. My band has been my greatest obsession since I started it. I use ordinary objects to make sounds, like an electric toothbrush, keys and a pencil sharpener. I sometimes invite people with little or no experience playing instruments to perform. A concert is a success when there are both moments of beauty and cringe.

    Portrait by Joakim Forsgren

  • Photos by Jean Baptiste Beranger, © Bernar Venet, courtesy of the artist and Wetterling Gallery Stockholm.

    Bernar Venet is disorganising order

    Written by Natalia Muntean

    Renowned as a “giant of contemporary art,” Bernar Venet, born in 1941 in Château-Arnoux, France, has spent over six decades pushing the boundaries of artistic expression. As the most internationally exhibited French artist, Venet's radical style reimagines traditional sculpture forms and extends into various artistic realms, including monumental corten steel sculptures, painting, performance, poetry, sound, design, and photography. 

    From January 25 until March 8, 2024, Wetterling Gallery is showcasing Venet's latest works in an exhibition called “Disorganizing Order”. The exhibition features recent sculptures, drawings, and paintings by Venet and serves as a canvas for the artist's overarching “principle of equivalence.” This guiding principle, transcending disciplines, encapsulates his latest theoretical explorations, centred on concepts like entropy, unpredictability, and self-reference. At the core of the exhibition are the recent Collapses (Effondrements) - stacks of Arcs arranged by chance and gravity, challenging the traditional vertical structure of sculptures and offering a delicate balance between unpredictability and mathematical precision. The exhibition's final room features paintings from the Diffeomorphism (Difféomorphisme) series, where Venet digitally distorts scientific texts, creating a contrast between surface confusion and logical-mathematical formulas.

    There is an interplay between order and disorder, precision and unpredictability, that dominates Venet’s works, adding depth and complexity. It encourages viewers to contemplate the balance between control and chance, while also challenging traditional artistic norms and inviting a closer examination of the relationships between opposing forces in his creations. With works in over 70 museums worldwide, Venet continues to captivate global audiences from his dual bases in France and New York.

    Photos by Jean Baptiste Beranger, © Bernar Venet, courtesy of the artist and Wetterling Gallery Stockholm.

  • Viggo wears

    shirt We two
    trousers Dickies
    dress Baum und Pferdgarten
    shoes Dr. Martens
    rings Sif Jacobs

    Rebecca wears

    shirt Urban outfitters
    skirts Baum und Pferdgarten
    stockings Swedish Stockings
    shoes Dr. Martens
    earrings Clara Fina
    ring Sägen
    photography Sandra Myhrberg
    fashion, hair & makeup Filippa Finn & Emelie Bodén

    Suite Simone: An Electronic Celebration of Nostalgia

    Written by Emil Björnius by Filippa Finn

    One is pretty much a pioneer with over 15 years in the industry. The other one has had a meteoric rise to fame and could be seen playing at Boiler Room in Stockholm two years ago. In their new joint project, Suite Simone, Rebecca Scheja and Viggo Dyst let melancholy take a vital part in their genre-crossing music.

    Suite Simone is probably one of the most exciting things to happen to Swedish electronic music since DJ Seinfeld, and it is easy to understand why. Rebecca and Viggo share a love for vibrant, ambient and emotional melodies, which they successfully combine with merciless breakbeats. They do this with a mature yet playful sound. Rebecca has a lot of experience in the industry. Viggo describes himself as a true nerd who – in his younger years – preferred to produce beats while his friends played computer games.

    We meet digitally, and Rebecca and Viggo are about to start the day in their music studio. With different backgrounds, they complete each other. Rebecca’s career began in 2008 when female DJs were a rare phenomenon on the Swedish club scene. Rebecca & Fiona has been a powerhouse on the Swedish music scene for nearly a decade. On the other hand, Viggo released his first material on Spotify ten years later and has since studied music theory, lived in Berlin and worked with prominent Swedish producer La Fleur.

    How did the two of you meet?

    Rebecca: We met at a writing camp hosted by Vivrant Records. I was there as a producer, lyricist, and songwriter, and meeting Viggo was like love at first sight.

    Viggo: I joined the camp unexpectedly due to a cancellation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rebecca and I connected instantly, especially while creating “Lost in Love.” We decided to form a band after that session.

    You come from different backgrounds but share an equal love for electronic music. Tell me about Suite Simone:

    Rebecca: We share a lot of nostalgic love for the Basshunter era. Viggo comes more from techno, and I am from the house genre. In the project, we strive for a melancholic melodic language but also want to up the tempo. Suite Simone can be a little dark and sad at times.

    Viggo: “Lost in Love” is an excellent example of the spread of genres in a single song. You can find both UK breakbeat and some Italo vibes. I've never really landed on what I wanted to do, so the common thread has never been a genre but a language conveyed through all the songs. The first songs were a bit more 90s, then we've come up in years, so the latter has leaned more towards how Deadmau5 sounded in 2008. We've simply landed in a combination of EDM, trance and techno. don't want to be put in a specific compartment.

    Tell me a little bit about the dynamics in your duo.

    Rebecca: I don’t think we have ever argued about anything. We have chemistry around the melody and in how we do things. It has been very effortless.

    Viggo: I've never been angry with you. We have a very mutual understanding. We are also responsive to each other. The work we do together must be completely open, “if you do this, then I will take responsibility for that.” It has been a satisfactory relationship. I sit at the computer and tweak things, but we try to have an equal relationship. Rebecca is with me when I mix, and I am there when Rebecca writes lyrics.

    Rebecca: I have learned incredibly much when it comes to mixing. I had Viggo's role a lot while working with Fiona, so it has been nice to switch things up. Viggo is incredibly educational.

    When are you going on tour?

    Rebecca: We will aim to run hard this spring. Everything needs to be nailed down. Our album will come out this spring, at the beginning of March, then we’ll probably tour a lot.

    Viggo: You are so invited to our release party.

    If you had to choose, who would be the dream collaboration, and why?

    Rebecca: The only producer that would have been epic to work with is Timbaland.

    Viggo: So many good producers do similar things to us, but we can do that ourselves. Timbaland is a little something else. Regarding artists, it would be someone from a completely different world, like Enya, Björk or Rozalia, maybe?

    Listen to Suite Simone's new singel Ajuna!

    coat Remake

    necklace Caroline Svedbom

    Viggo wears
    shirt Sofia Corneskog
    trousers Lee
    shoes Stylist’s own
    bracelet Sif Jacobs

    Rebecca wears
    shirt Hosbjerg
    trousers Baum und Pferdgarten
    shoes Tamaris
    earrings Stylist’s own
    necklace Sif Jacobs

    Viggo wears
    coat Remake
    shoes Dr. Martens

    necklace Caroline Svedbom

    Rebecca wears
    dress Samsoe Samsoe
    coat STHLM MISC

    stockings Swedish Stockings

    shoes Stylist’s own
    earrings Sägen

    Rebecca wears
    veil Sofia Corneskog
    shirt Sofia Corneskog
    stockings Swedish Stockings
    shoes Talent’s own
    rings Sägen

    Viggo wears
    leather jacket Brixtol Textiles
    shirt Ahlvar Gallery
    trousers Stylist’s own
    shoes Stylist’s own
    rings Sägen

    Viggo wears

    leather jacket Replay
    sunglasses Guess
    necklace Sif Jacobs

    Rebecca wears
    coat PelloBello
    sunglasses MaxMara
    necklace Sif Jacobs
    earrings Sägen
    shirt LEVI’S
    earrings Stylist’s own
    photography Sandra Myhrberg
    fashion, hair & makeup Filippa Finn & Emelie Bodén
    photography assistant Rebecka Barlach
    fashion, hair & makeup assistant Vanessa Eriksson Tonelli

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