• image courtsy of curator, photography Katya L

    Alida Ivanov: Instrumentalising Art Can Be a Slippery Slope

    Written by Natalia Muntean

    To kick off Stockholm Art Week, we have asked a number of interesting people from the city’s art scene questions to explore their relationship to art and the city.

    Alida Ivanov is an independent art curator and writer, based in Stockholm, Sweden. With over 20 years of experience in the art world, she has worked through various galleries, museums, agencies, and artists to showcase their work in creative approaches. Currently, Ivanov serves as the Artistic Director for SKF/Konstnärshuset and oversees art projects for ArtPlatform.

    What is the story behind the exhibition during Stockholm Art Week? 
    During Art Week we are showing the exhibition Himlakroppar with artists Barbro Hedström, Ekaterina Lukoshkova, and Trinidad Carrillo. It’s in the line of intergenerational shows that has become the trademark of SKF/Konsnärshuset’s exhibition programme. Himlakroppar is the Swedish word for ‘celestial bodies’ and in the show, the word is handled quite literally. All three artists have works that balance man and nature, in a kind of magic realism realm. The body is prevalent in a lot of different ways. 

    What inspired you to become a curator, and how has your journey evolved? 
    I started working at a gallery when I was 20 and back then I didn’t really think I wanted to be a curator. But by the time I was in my mid-20s, it was what I was, or that’s when I started defining my job as that. What I like about being a curator is that it’s an elastic professional role that can involve so many different things. For me, it’s everything from planning/managing/producing exhibitions and public art projects to writing about art, marketing and many more things. Having this flexibility is also a downside, it's sometimes difficult to explain my work and define curators' rights and conditions in the labour market.

    What is your creative process like, and how do you develop new ideas and concepts for your curatorial work? 
    It’s different from time to time. Usually, I start with an artist or a group of artists I would like to see together in some kind of constellation. This can be something that has been in the back of my mind for years. And sometimes it’s a theme, or a sentence, or something that I’ve listened to or watched that sparks something that works with that artist or artists that I’ve been thinking about. 

    What role do you think art plays in society, and how do you see your work contributing to or challenging societal norms?
    This is a hard question. Art is very important for society, and for our well-being and is what makes us human. But I do feel that it’s a slippery slope to instrumentalise art, to use art for a specific agenda. That being said, it would be naive to assume this doesn't happen or can't be a good thing. I think for the right cause, art can be super powerful. 

    In my work, I try to join forces with the artists and other collaborators I choose to work with. And to be able to be an outlet where people can tell different stories from a multitude of backgrounds, generations and so on. I feel as curators, it is our job to make an effort to not only choose the same artists and art over and over again. 

    Are there any particular themes or subjects that consistently appear in your exhibitions, and if so, what draws you to them?
    I would love to say I never reuse a theme, but I have. The themes I gravitate towards are digital culture, TV, popular culture/phenomenon, group mentality, modernism (postmodernism), and how it affects us today, hopefully with a tongue-in-cheek twist.

    Can you share a favourite spot in Stockholm where you go to find inspiration or recharge creatively? 
    The flea market at Hötorget on Sundays. I usually go with my dad, but I always lose him within five minutes. I love to haggle, but sometimes I just call in Dad to do the last haggle blow!

    Is there a Swedish artist who you find inspirational? 
    At the beginning of this year, I had the honour to exhibit works by the late Björn Stampes. It was such a beautiful experience to get to know his artistic practice through the eyes of his loved ones and, together with his partner Sophi Vejrich, find a format that would be fitting for a memorial show, but also give the work new life and context. Stampes' work is so beautiful, and meticulously made, with amazing colour combos, and fun.

    Barbro Hedström

    Duo, 1994 

    image courtsy of curator

    Björn Stampes

    three-dimensional, colorful, time-consuming

    2024, installation view

    photo SKF Konstnärshuset

    image courtsy of curator

    photography Katya Lukoshkova

    Lovers-C-print

  • photography Julia Sixtensson

    Dr. Martens x Venus Rami "Archive Sandals" Collection

    Written by Fashion Tales

    Odalisque sat down and talked with Venus Rami about her music and Dr Martens. With Iranian heritage, spent her early years on the Swedish west coast, listening to Googoosh and Timbaland and later on she immersed in Stockholm's vibrant underground and queer scene where every sonic encounter sculpted her artistic vision. Venus's sound is a vibrant tapestry of influences. Drawing from contemporary R&B, ingenious pop production, and the emotional depth of 2000s indie, her music resonates with a unique blend of nostalgia and innovation. All can be heard as subtle traces in the music she now creates as Venus Anon. In April 2023, Venus released 'Nocturnal' – a seven-track mixtape that truly set the tone for her magical sound world. The release was followed by performances at festivals around the Nordic region, including Way Out West in Gothenburg and By:Larm in Oslo - as well as a sold-out headline show in London. 'Nocturnal' was praised by several critics, including one of today's most prominent music journalists, Anthony Fantano (The Needle Drop). In the spring of 2024, Venus was also nominated for a Grammis award in the Soul/RnB category. In 2024, Venus Anon returns with a new EP.

    What inspired you to become a musician?
    Music! Listening to music has always felt like transcending reality. Hearing my dad sing in the shower, never shutting up myself, I don’t know—at this point, I just feel like I would die without it.

    Is there a specific genre that you take after?
    I've grown up with R&B, Grunge, Hip hop, and Persian music. I think the mix is kind of detectable, whether I want it to be or not.

    How do you like the Swedish music scene?
    I think it’s amazing and that the underground/alternative scene is severely underrated. The impact that it's had on the more commercial side is truly palpable, with good reason.

    Is there anything you think is missing and could be improved?
    I think that it would be great if there was a bit more diversity in the people being booked/awarded… some of the most talented artists in Stockholm have a hard time getting exposure because of this.

    What are your plans for the future?
    To keep making music that resonates with me. To give back to my community someday.

    Can you tell us about your creativity process and how you approach starting a new piece?
    I get very inspired by other forms of art or bodies of music. I read a book and get obsessed with the type of narration it uses, watch a movie that changes my life, or find the first stuff an artist ever released and indulge. I like the early stuff people do a lot; it’s usually very raw and eclectic and less worried about how it will be received.

    Who would be your dream collaborator to make music with?
    I think Little Dragon, Oklou, and Tirzah. I also want to say Frank Ocean, but I think I would simply faint.

    What is your best memory of Dr. Martens?
    I remember buying my first Dr. Martens as a 13-year-old on Blocket, kind of like Swedish eBay. They were these platform ones, not the modern ones like the Jadon boots but like REAL heavy-duty boots. I loved them so much even though they looked nothing like the dainty ones that were trending in 2012 and felt so powerful stomping into school with them. Actually, I think one of my best memories, ironically, is when someone at school made a snarky comment about them. I remember feeling like my taste is truly something special, and that the people who get it, get it. In my arrogant teenage mind, it just consolidated my belief that I was somehow the main character— LOL.

    When thinking of the Dr. Martens “Archive Sandal” collection, is there any clothing fit you directly want to match the shoes with?
    With juxta-posed pieces! They are very structured and edgy; I would love a worn-out baby tee with a bikini under and a crochet skirt. Or like a long flowy skirt. Skirts in general. Big like with Dr. Martens!

    Links to Dr. Martens ”Archive Sandals” Collection with Venus Rami here! (Archive Fisherman Wrenlie Dark Brown) here! (Archive Laketen Mule Black)


     

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