Artistic recycling on galleriutställningar in Stockholm

The Russian artist Kazimir Malevitjs black painting ”Black square” from 1915 belonging to the, together with Marcel Duchamp's urinal, the early modernism's absolute zero points. More than a hundred years later is the black square soon as copied, mythologized and satiriserad as Leonardo da Vinci's ”Mona Lisa”.

Magnus Wallin are on well-explored ground when he is in his exhibition at Galerie Nordenhake make a series of to-scale replicas of the iconic artwork. The difference is in the material – Wallin's paintings are made of acrylic, which were mixed up with blodpulver and bone remains, and then polished to a smooth surface.

It is an intervention in line with Wallin's previous production, which often involves the human body's limitations, physical pain, and life's inescapable control. The title of a part of the works in the exhibition, ”All those moments will be lost in time...”, is in turn a reference taken from the classic science fiction movie ”Bladerunner”, which is also often quoted.

two different traditions from the 1900s: a five and a popkulturell. But betydelsekrocken fails to appear, as well as the existential vertigo you often can feel the face of Wallin's work. In addition, the rebusen too simple. Then it is the works that are placed at the back of the room, a väggstor smiley face made of human bones, both funnier and more irreverent – a memento mori for Instagramgenerationen.

Magnus Wallin's ”Smiley” Photo: Carl Henrik Tillberg

furthermore, Bella Rune find themselves in the quite well explored areas with its textile sculptures at Galleri Magnus Karlsson – here are references as well to Sol Lewitts colorful murals to Tomas Saraceno measurement principle of the clamped yarn.

the Runes hanging sculptures composed of mohairtrådar in different colors that form geometric shapes, with their pointed muzzles and hanging fringes similar to those most of all uppåtstigande fireworks or missiles. Here are also a couple of stand-alone golvskulpturer with abstracted human attributes and a series of wall sculptures based on architect Buckminster fuller's theories.

View from the Bella Rune's exhibition ”XYZ”. Photo: Galleri Magnus Karlsson

the exhibition a floating, light-hearted expression. Even the color scheme is accessible and seductive, with regnbågsglada colours such as downloaded from candy. But you can just as easily associate to Hilma af Klint's pastel-colored art, with its spiritual, ethereal ambitions and geometric compositions.

In the production of the works has Rune used traditional techniques that makramé and sailor's knots, which ties in with the contemporary craze for folk art and authentic craftsmanship. There is also an underlying aspect of the works takes place in the room, but is at the same time extremely materialsnåla. The whole show is probably to pack down into a small box and send forward, without unnecessary environmental impact.

Herein is also a kind of artistic alchemy, the ability to create gold out of simple materials – it is only to see on the price list to see that there is a trollkonst that actually works.

devote themselves to a kind of artistic recycling, with clear rootlets in the 1900-century abstract art, but with completely different results. One of the bottoms in the darkness, the heaviness and dödskulten, the other in the spiritual and seductive. Which you prefer is well mostly a matter of taste, but personally, I think the Rune's exhibition feels more independent in relation to the sources.