Digital Dynamics in Nordic Contemporary Art

Tanya Ravn Ag

• Publisher: Intellect Books
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781783209484
• eBook ISBN: 9781783209491
• Topic: Kunst
• Subtopic: Kunst Allgemein

Affected by technology and globalization, the Nordic region is experiencing large shifts in its socio-political conditions and international outlook today.  As digital dynamics affect life worlds, contemporary artists are making new inquiries in response to the changing Nordic context. As a result of these ever-evolving circumstances, conditions and motivations for making art change as well. As technology and digital culture become more deeply embedded in the contemporary art scene, there is a renewed need to examine the role of art in society and everyday life, and to consider how the digital inspires artists to evolve and tackle socio-political realities, locally and in the wider world.
The first section of Digital Dynamics in Nordic Contemporary Art features a collection of testimonials from 78 artists connected to Nordic art who employ concepts and tools relating to the digital in their practice. These testimonials form the basis of essays in the book's second section, penned by leading scholars and curators of Nordic art. They investigate the digital influences on contemporary art, with particular attention paid to the national and international Nordic socio-political context.

Part 1

Directory

Katja Aglert

Practicing with the digital since approx. 1998

Swedish, works worldwide

Testimonial pp. 40, 59, 76, 103

Matti Aikio

Practicing with the digital since 2009

Finnish, works and exhibits mainly in Norway, Finland and Sweden

Testimonial pp. 45, 70, 109

Hrund Atladóttir

Practicing with the digital since 2004

Icelandic, works and exhibits mainly in Iceland and USA

Testimonial pp. 36, 102, 108

AUJIK (Stefan Larsson)

Practicing with the digital since 2001

Swedish and Japanese, exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 38, 108, 112

Laura Beloff

Practicing with the digital since 1995-96

Finnish, works and exhibits mainly in Europe

Testimonial pp. 57, 61, 68, 73, 76, 85, 87, 98

Bombina Bombast (Emma Bexell and Stefan Stanisic)

Practicing with the digital since 2012

Swedish and Serbian, works and exhibits mainly in the Nordic countries

Testimonial pp. 43, 58, 61, 66, 77, 92, 101

Niels Bonde

Practicing with the digital since 1990

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and USA

Testimonial pp. 35, 99, 101, 105

Jesper Carlsen

Practicing with the digital since 2001

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark

Testimonial pp. 43, 69, 101

A K Dolven

Practicing with the digital since 1995

Norwegian, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 33, 38, 111

Tor Jørgen van Eijk

Practicing with the digital since 2000

Norwegian, exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 44, 65, 74, 97

Alberto Frigo

Practicing with the digital since 2000

Italian, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 44, 47, 50, 78, 89, 105

Søren Thilo Funder

Practicing with the digital since 2002

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark and worldwide

Testimonial pp. 37, 51, 64, 79, 82, 88, 97, 102

HC Gilje

Practicing with the digital since 1995

Norwegian, works and exhibits mainly in Norway and Europe

Testimonial pp. 46, 94, 107

Goto80

Practicing with the digital since 1993

Swedish, works and exhibits mainly in Sweden

Testimonial pp. 50, 55, 79, 83, 100, 104

Marie Munk Hartwig

Practicing with the digital since 2010

Denmark, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark and England

Testimonial pp. 38, 46, 66, 68, 80, 86, 89

Bjørn Erik Haugen

Practicing with the digital since 2002

Norwegian, works and exhibits mainly in the Nordic countries and Europe

Testimonial pp. 42, 72, 102

Ilpo Heikkinen

Practicing with the digital since 2008

Finnish, works and exhibits mainly in Finland, and occasionally elsewhere

Testimonial pp. 34, 59, 64, 81, 85, 88, 110

Marianne Heske

Practicing with the digital since 1984

Norwegian, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 40, 107

Hanna Husberg

Practicing with the digital since approx. 2000

Finnish, works and exhibits mainly in Nordic countries and Europe

Testimonial pp. 36, 39, 70, 110

IC-98 (Patrik Söderlund and Visa Suonpää)

Practicing with the digital since 2006

Finnish, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 43, 82, 98, 110

Illutron (testimonials by Nicolas Padfield and Mads Høbye)

Practicing with the digital since 2003

Danish and international, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark, occasionally Sweden, Berlin and USA

Testimonial pp. 34, 57, 60, 81, 87, 93

Marie Kølbæk Iversen

Practicing with the digital since 2004

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark and Brazil

Testimonial pp. 55, 56, 91, 103

Ewa Jacobsson

Practicing with the digital since the early 1990s

Swedish, works and exhibits mainly in the Nordic countries, Central and Eastern Europe and USA

Testimonial pp. 35, 36, 39, 40, 52, 53, 63, 74, 82

Mogens Jacobsen

Practicing with the digital since 1989

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark and worldwide

Testimonial pp. 34, 49, 75, 98

Johan Knattrup Jensen

Practicing with the digital since 2013

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark and worldwide

Testimonial pp. 53, 61, 67, 73

Vibeke Jensen

Practicing with the digital since 1990

Norwegian, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 34, 71, 81, 94, 100, 104

Lisa Jevbratt

Practicing with the digital since 1991

Swedish, works and exhibits worldwide, mostly in USA

Testimonial pp. 49, 70, 98, 104

Erik Johansson

Practicing with the digital since 2000 and professionally since 2008

Swedish, works and exhibits mainly in Sweden and Czech Republic

Testimonial pp. 53, 108

Arijana Kajfes

Practicing with the digital since 1997

Croatian and Swedish, works and exhibits worldwide, mainly in Sweden

Testimonial pp. 42, 48, 77, 89

Tove Kjellmark

Practicing with the digital since 2007

Sweden, exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 69, 94, 111

Kollision

Practicing with the digital since 2000

Danish, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 34, 60, 64, 73, 81, 95

Jette Gejl Kristensen

Practicing with the digital since 1999

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark and USA

Testimonial pp. 69, 75

Kristina Kvalvik

Practicing with the digital since 2008

Norwegian, works and exhibits mainly in the Nordic countries

Testimonial pp. 53, 102, 104, 107

Marita Liulia

Practicing with the digital since 1988

Finland, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 39, 51

Lundahl & Seitl (Christer Lundahl & Martina Seitl)

Practicing with the digital since 2005

Swedish, works and exhibits mainly in the Nordic countries, UK and Europe

Testimonial pp. 38, 56, 61, 67, 80, 95

Anastasios Logothetis

Practicing with the digital since 2005

Swedish and Greek, works and exhibits mainly in Sweden and worldwide

Testimonial pp. 48, 64, 77, 101

Dark Matters

Practicing with the digital since 2005

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark and Europe

Testimonial pp. 43, 60, 65, 107

Mia Mäkelä

Practicing with the digital since 1992

Finland,works and exhibits mainly in Finland, Europe all around the western world

Testimonial pp. 39, 40, 45, 55, 107

Teemu Mäki

Practicing with the digital since 1994

Finnish, works and exhibits mainly in Finland and Europe

Testimonial pp. 37, 52, 90

Elisabeth Molin

Practicing with the digital since 2009

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in England, Denmark and Germany

Testimonial pp. 65, 79, 95, 101

Tone Myskja

Practicing with the digital since 1990

Norwegian, works and exhibits mainly in Norway

Testimonial pp. 41, 42, 63, 108

N55

Practicing with the digital since 1994

Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 60, 72, 86, 93, 97

Nuleinn (Rine Rodin & Magga Ploder)

Practicing with the digital since 2013

Danish and Icelandic, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark and Europe

Testimonial pp. 54, 68, 70, 96

Marjatta Oja

Practicing with the digital since 1989

Finnish, works and exhibits internationally

Testimonial p. 109

Erik Parr

Practicing with the digital since 2001

American, Icelandic, Finnish, works and exhibits mainly in the Nordic countries and worldwide

Testimonial pp. 48, 49

Andrew Gryf Paterson

Practicing with the digital since 1997

Scottish, UK, works and exhibits mainly in Finland and Latvia

Testimonial pp. 37, 48, 77, 84, 98

Pink Twins (Juha Vehviläinen & Vesa Vehviläinen)

Practicing with the digital since 1997

Finnish, works and exhibits in Finland and worldwide

Testimonial pp. 36, 41, 66, 76

Tuomo Rainio

Practicing with the digital since 2004

Finnish, works and exhibits mainly in Europe

Testimonial pp. 54, 56, 88

Juan Duarte Regino

Practicing with the digital since 2002

Mexican and Finnish, works and exhibits mainly in Finland, Sweden, Estonia and Germany

Testimonial pp. 57, 64, 83, 93

Jacob Remin

Practicing with the digital since approx. 2002

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark

Testimonial pp. 34, 86, 38, 100

Stian Remvik

Practicing with the digital since 2010

Norwegian, works and exhibits mainly in Norway

Testimonial pp. 57, 60

Carl-Johan Rosén

Practicing with the digital since 2006

Swedish, works and exhibits mainly in Sweden

Testimonial pp. 33, 48, 49, 50, 55, 72

Petri Ruikka

Practicing with the digital since 2002

Finnish, works and exhibits mainly in Finland and worldwide

Testimonial pp. 44, 51, 63, 67, 92, 107

Anne Katrine Senstad

Practicing with the digital since the 1990s

Norwegian, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 41, 53, 67, 73, 83

Joonas Siren

Practicing with the digital since the early 2000s

Finnish, works and exhibits mainly in Finland and worldwide

Testimonial pp. 34, 65, 74, 99

Mats Jørgen Sivertsen

Practicing with the digital since 1988

Norwegian, works and exhibits mainly in Norway

Testimonial pp. 35, 39, 41, 44, 62, 69

Jacek Smolicki

Practicing with the digital since 2003

Polish, works and exhibits mainly in Sweden, Poland and Europe

Testimonial pp. 46, 47, 72, 80, 86, 90, 93, 99

Lisa Strömbeck

Practicing with the digital since 1995

Swedish, works and exhibits mainly in Sweden, Denmark and Germany

Testimonial pp. 41, 75, 84, 111

Egill Sæbjörnsson

Practicing with the digital since 1994

Icelandic, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 35, 62, 63, 71, 92, 94

Tina Tarpgaard (recoil performance group)

Practicing with the digital since 2003

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark and worldwide

Testimonial pp. 62, 82, 110

Hanne Lise Thomsen

Practicing with the digital since 1996

Danish, works and exhibits mainly in Denmark and the Middle East

Testimonial pp. 39, 88, 96

Björk Viggósdóttir

Practicing with the digital since 2003

Icelandic, works and exhibits in Iceland and worldwide

Testimonial pp. 42, 68, 71

Magnus Wassborg

Practicing with the digital since 1995

Swedish, works and exhibits mostly in Europe

Testimonial pp. 83, 84, 99, 110

Jana Winderen

Practicing with the digital since the early 1990s

Norwegian, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 45, 108, 109

Kristoffer Ørum

Practicing with the digital since 2004

Danish, works and exhibits worldwide

Testimonial pp. 37, 59, 74, 82, 91, 106

Artist Testimonials

Introduction

Between 2015 and 2016, with revisions and a few additions during 2017 and 2018, artist testimonials were collected from 78 artists, practicing individually and in groups, departing from or working within the Nordic art context(s), whose practices significantly engage digital technology. The artists were asked to describe how they experience the digital as influencing and having influenced their work and the contemporary art scenes in the Nordic contexts and worldwide; to what extent the themes or questions in their art reflect their connection with any geographical, cultural, societal and/or political Nordic context; and how the digital affects the ways in which their work responds to contemporary society.

The testimonials were collected to form a point of departure for the authors of the book’s chapters. Conveying diverse perspectives and positions of artists of different generations, backgrounds and orientations, the testimonials as presented here are thematically organized and form a collective whole. Together, they reveal how the digital dynamics that currently change our world simultaneously change the inquiries and forms of contemporary art, by changing the conditions, tools and imaginations of artists’ practices.

On Being an Artist with the Digital

A K Dolven

The digital is just part of being a person (artist) in our time and natural to use when needed. As any other influence, it is a part of who I am in our time and therefore, of course, part of the work.

Carl-Johan Rosén

To me, the digital departs from the immaterial processes within a computer processor, a CPU (central processing unit). The digital is an active process of transformation, not so much a static storage of binary data. In extension, the digital comes to represent all technologies, structures and activities that cooperate to keep these processes alive and therefore the digital becomes a term to describe a large aspect of contemporary society where humans and machines engage in mutual transformation processes.

Ilpo Heikkinen

The digital pierces almost everything I do. The most interesting thing about the digital (as with any other term as broad as this)...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Conclusion: Horizons for Nordic Contemporary (Digital) Art
• Notes on Authors
• Index