The Return of the Losers

Kjersti Andvig (NO), Páll Haukur Björnsson (ISL), Conny Blom (SE), Alessandra Di Pisa (SE), Sara-Vide Ericson (SE), Klas Eriksson (SE), Ivan Galuzin (NO), Tamar Guimaraes (DK), Gustav Hellberg (SE), Eva Isleifsdottir (ISL), Elin Magnusson (SE), Jumana Manna (NO) & Roxy Fahrat (SE), NUG (SE), Hanna Ojamo (SF), Kristian Skylstad (NO), Pilvi Takala (SF), Sören Thilo Funder (DK), Theis Wendt (DK), Danh Vo (DK) and YKON.

Curator: Martin Schibli

The Return of the Losers is based on economic calculations that show that the young people who grew up in the Nordic countries in the 1990s and 2000s will in general have a lower standard of living than their parents’ generation. A change like that will likely force a reformulation of the Nordic welfare state. Many believe that transformation is already underway, with Sweden having lost is position at the head of the pack of welfare societies. The rest of the world seems already to have lost faith in the Nordic model as a sustainable and successful role model for welfare in the globalized world. The struggle for survival is going to be tough for many Nordic regions, cities, and individuals. The issue couldn’t be more relevant, especially for the Kalmar region, with its diminishing and ageing population.

The participating artists are themselves members of the lost generation, but they have in common the fact that they don’t see themselves as victims. On the contrary, they create instead their own conditions for survival in a global world. In this way, the artists contribute with their actions to the reformulation of the Nordic welfare state. In their work, the artists capture the younger generation’s attitude toward the Nordic welfare state’s changes in the wake of globalization—and toward its future.

The exhibition is also intended to reflect on the position of art and the artist in a time of social change and development. What is possible? Several of the participating artists have been perceived by the surrounding community as provocative. Could that be because they make their own way, refusing to resign themselves to fate? Perhaps it’s precisely because these artists have touched on and questioned the foundations of the welfare society, the basis for many debates in the art world in Sweden in recent years.

OPENING Saturday, May 7
1:00 PM Performance by Klas Eriksson
2:00 PM Introduction by exhibition curator Martin Schibli, Director of Exhibitions
3:00 PM Conversation with several of the participating artists

SCHEDULE
Wednesday, May 18, 6:30 PM: “A Contemporary Mirror on Criminal Groups,” Anette Karlsson, social planner/researcher, City of Kalmar
Sunday, May 22, 2:00 PM: Tour of the exhibition with its curator
Wednesday, May 25, 10:00 AM: “Pram Tour” with the Director of Exhibitions Martin Schibli
Wednesday, August 24: Martin Schibli on “Contemporary Swedish Art”
Wednesday, August 31: Release event for Oscar Guermouche’s book What Are You Doing Right Now?

The exhibition has received funding from OCA, Norway and Statens Kunstråd (The Danish Art council, Denmark.

Participation by Gustav Hellberg is part of the EU project Artline
Art Line, Part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund)
www.artline-southbaltic.eu

For further information, please contact: Martin Schibli, Kalmar konstmuseum’s Director of Exhibitions,
+ 46 (0) 480 426288, martin.schibli@kalmarkonstmuseum.se