Guest Star Friday #138…Adrian Paci

Last Gestures

April 1, 2014 was a really good day, one of those days that unfolds in the most natural, wonderful way. It did not start out that way, though. I was in Gothenburg, Sweden for my exhibition and feeling stressed. Jet-lag was taking its toll, I was struggling with a new piece for the opening, and I was trying to maneuver in an expensive city on very little money. I knew a good, long walk would make everything better so I left my hostel to find the place where the river meets the sea, marked by a suspension bridge and the contemporary art museum, Röda Sten konsthall. This is when things got so much better… The weather was beautiful and I saw many interesting things along the way. When I got to the museum I was delighted to discover it was free that day! I had a lovely talk with one of the staff members and then slowly moved my way through the museum, and things got even better. 

The main exhibition, "Of Lives and Tales," was a retrospective of Adrian Paci, an Albanian artist I had not heard of before. Paci's work includes installation, video, photography and painting and focuses on memory, loss, nostalgia and displacement. I was drawn to his work immediately and had powerful, emotional reactions to many of his works. I found "Last Gestures," in particular, to be very compelling. The piece is composed of four televisions that loop video images of movements and expressions made by a family as they spend a precious last moment together. There is no sound and your attention becomes focused on singular movements. The work is poetic and succinct and I cried as I sat alone in the dark. 

As I spent time with the other pieces in the exhibition I become increasingly excited to find an artist working with things I'm just beginning to discover my own interest in: the use of light and shadow, conveying complex narrative and emotion through simple visuals and the impact of using the human experience as a way to connect artist and viewer. 

Britma, 2009, color video still

Back Home #2, 2001, painting and photograph

Noise of Light, 2005 installation with 10 transformers, metal, crystal, bulbs

See more of my favorite Adrian Paci pieces on Pinterest.

Thanks for reading.

Moving Forward

walking in Vrångö

Yesterday I went island hopping and visited four different islands in Gothenburg's southern archipelago. It couldn't have been a better day--beautiful sunny weather, low-key travel with no problems, peaceful ferry rides, long walks along tiny streets. I visited Brännö, Styrsö, Donsö and Vrångö, taking ferries between each except for Styrsö and Donsö. I walked across a bridge between these two, which I just loved. I ate my lunch of cheese, bread and apples in the graveyard of a church built in the 1790s, drank coffee in a small cafe where no one else was and sat on rocks while listening to the birds. I also collected a number of things I found lying on the ground and thought a lot about my work.

my collection from yesterday's island trip

Today I walked along the Göta älv to the Älvsborg Bridge which spans the river and also marks the area where the river meets the sea. This transitional point is a favorite phenomenon of mine. Just under the bridge is Röda Sten konsthall, a contemporary art museum where I saw a retrospective of Adrian Paci and a collaborative project by Merete Lassen and Mimmi Andersson. I also saw lots of graffiti as the exterior of the building is covered with it. Then inside I saw two works by one of my favorite artists, Swoon. It was a very inspiring trip and felt like one of those "right place, right time" moments.

Swoon

Adrian Paci, The Last Gestures

Merete Lassen and Mimmi Andersson, House of Opposites 

As I said yesterday, I am moving around thoughts of islands and connections, and after today's long walk and the work I saw at the museum, I add bridges and ending points. I'm thinking more about moments and about capturing them in the form of objects, as well as opposites… all concepts I've been using in my work for awhile. I'm thinking about rope, too…

rope on Brännö

Älvsborg Bridge 

Thanks for reading.