Art

SPECTRUM an Interview with Julie Quottrup Silbermann Natalia Muntean CHART, the Nordic art fair, has become a cornerstone of the area’s contemporary art scene since its beginnings in 2013. What began as a collaborative e!ort among five galleries to showcase Nordic art has evolved into a dynamic, multi-faceted event that transcends the traditional art fair model. Today, CHART not only highlights leading and emerging galleries from the Nordic region but also integrates a rich public programme of performances, talks, and exhibitions, all aimed at making contemporary art accessible to a wider audience. In 2023, CHART welcomed an impressive 22,000 visitors, reflecting its growing influence and appeal. As Julie Quottrup Silbermann, Director of CHART Art Fair, explains, “We aim to be more than just an art fair. The fair itself features 28 to 40 galleries, but around it, we’ve expanded into a larger public programme that includes performances, music, and talks – all free of charge.” CHART is dedicated to fostering collaboration among galleries, rethinking public spaces, and prioritizing sustainability, all while creating an inclusive platform for Nordic art. As Silbermann says, “We’re not just building an art fair; we’re building a community.” Natalia Muntean: How has Chart evolved since it started in 2013?Julie Quottrup Silbermann: Chart is an annual art event that began in 2013, created by five galleries to showcase the Nordic art scene. Initially focused on collaboration among Nordic galleries, the format evolved three years ago to include a broader program and a partnership with Tivoli Gardens for outdoor exhibitions. Today, Chart invites Nordic galleries to participate, emphasising that it is more than just an art fair. The event features performances, emerging musicians, and a talks program with discussions relevant to contemporary art, all free to the public. Additionally, collaborations with other institutions allow visitors to explore new exhibitions and attend previews during the event. NM: The Nordic region is often seen as progressive and forward-looking – how does Chart reflect or challenge these ideas?JQS: We aim to present a broad view of Nordic art by inviting both established and emerging galleries from the region and beyond. There’s a growing trend of galleries balancing art and design, with artists creating functional sculptures, particularly in small, artist-run spaces like Coulisse Gallery and Public Service Gallery in Stockholm. This reflects an increasing interest in unique artworks for personal collections. While emerging galleries are thriving, mid-tier ones face challenges, while established galleries have a steady audience. Since Chart’s inception, both invited and self-nominating galleries have participated. I visit Nordic capitals annually to discover new spaces and gather recommendations from established galleries, ensuring we showcase the most exciting new Nordic talent at Chart. NM: What do you think is the role of CHART in shaping the Nordic art market?JQS: For the participating galleries, it’s an important part of their year to take part in a fair that specialises in the Nordics. We create a community around it, and it’s not just about the fair itself. Throughout the year, participating galleries present their exhibitions, and we collaborate on art calendars. We also reach out to art professionals, organising online curator meetings five times during the spring to introduce galleries to them. I feel the galleries are part of this community, and they’re introduced to art professionals in a meaningful way. I hope and I feel we’re giving a lot back to the galleries by fostering collaboration and mutual support. This is reflected in the fair’s design. When you enter, you don’t see long aisles or booths. Instead, you step into rooms that might feature three galleries at once, creating a cohesive exhibition experience. This setup allows art professionals, collectors, or firsttime visitors to engage openly with the galleries. You’re essentially walking in and out of different gallery spaces seamlessly, without the barriers of traditional booths. NM: This is the last year for Chart Architecture why did you decide this would be the last year?JQS: CHART Architecture has been running for ten years. Over this time, we’ve Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Spoiled Image – Photography Unbound at Konstnärshuset Text by Natalia Muntean In Spoiled Image, photographers Sofia Runarsdotter and Diana Agunbiade-Kolawole surrender their archives, professional and personal, artistic and accidental, to reimagining. Stripped of original intent, their images mesh and collide, freed from categories like photojournalism, fashion, or private snapshots. Here, a forgotten self-portrait, a celebrity snapshot, or a Tokyo train sequence demand attention not for what they were, but for what they are: singular, unresolved, and electric in their new dialogue. Curated by Ashik Zaman, the exhibition is part of a broader focus on contemporary photography and runs from May 10 to June 7 at SKF/Konstnärshuset. What happens when we stop labelling images and simply let them speak? Sofia Runarsdotter Natalia Muntean: Your Girl Battle series captures raw, physical tension between women. In Spoiled Image, how does this visceral approach translate when your images are divorced from their original narrative context?Sofia Runarsdotter: Girl Battle is a personal project, photographed in my home village. From the outset, the selection and presentation of the photographs in the Girl Battle series were intended to be experienced both as a whole and as singular photographs. I did the selection together with curator Ashik Zaman. Our aim was for each final image to be so powerful that it could stand alone, independent of its original context. In this exhibition, the photograph Spider is shown in a new context, which brings fresh energy and opens it up to new interpretations. I believe that change and transformation are positive forces. The motif, to me, represents something far beyond sport. NM: The exhibition pulls images from your personal and professional archives, even snapshots never meant to be shown as art. How did this process of recontextualization change your relationship to your work? Were there photographs that surprised you by gaining new meaning when freed from their original purpose? SR: I have an archive spanning over two decades, comprising approximately 300,000 photographs (though that figure is admittedly an estimate). These images were captured with a variety of cameras and stored across multiple formats: CDs, hard drives, and negatives. When Ashik invited Diana and me to do this exhibition, I anticipated the complexity of the process. The first step was to make a preliminary selection, a process that revealed how profoundly my way of seeing and reading photographs has evolved.One particular photo stands out: a self-portrait taken in Slovenia in 2005. What struck me was how the passage of time had recontextualised the image. For me, it is saturated with personal memory, so much so that I could barely recall taking it. Suddenly, I was confronted not with a photograph, but with a younger version of myself gazing back. I found myself wondering: Could this image hold meaning for someone else? Might it resonate beyond my narrative?This experience repeated itself with numerous photographs – images made in passing, never intended to be anything more than fragments. In that sense, the act of stepping back became essential. It was a relief, even a necessity, to allow a curator to engage with the work from a fresh perspective, unburdened by my associations. NM: The title Spoiled Image suggests a corruption or subversion of expectations. What does “spoiled” mean to you in this context? Is it about disrupting the hierarchies of photography (art vs. commercial vs. personal), or is it more about the viewer’s encounter with an image that refuses easy categorisation?SR: I find it liberating when images are allowed to be seen simply for what they are – photographs in their own right, without being forced into predefined categories. Having worked in the space between art and photojournalism, I’ve often witnessed how powerful images, especially those by colleagues in similar fields, remain unseen because they don’t fit neatly into institutional or disciplinary frameworks. There was simply no room for them, no “appropriate” category.With Spoiled Image, those boundaries are loosened. The images are no longer judged by conventional hierarchies or expectations, but encountered on their own terms. That openness allows for a greater generosity toward the image – a richer, more inclusive space of reception. In that sense, it becomes almost like a manifesto: a call to recognise the value of photographs that resist being pinned down. NM: Does the Girl Battle image change meaning when separated from the full series and shown next to Diana’s work?SR: I believe that when placed in dialogue with Diana’s archive, the Girl Battle image Spider gains a new and unexpected energy- one that I fully welcome. This kind of interplay has been a defining and enriching aspect of the entire process. It opens the work to new interpretations and connections that wouldn’t have emerged within the original series alone. NM: Were there old or forgotten photos that suddenly made sense in this exhibition?SR: They were, indeed. One example is a photograph I took in Tokyo in 2008, during a freelance assignment for various magazines. While going through my negatives, I suddenly came across a sequence from a train ride in Tokyo, images I had never seen before. And yet, as I looked at them, I began to recall taking the photo. Or did I? It’s strange, perhaps I only imagined capturing that moment, projected the memory onto the image itself. The line between memory and imagination can blur so easily when revisiting old work. Ashik was immediately drawn to it. It’s just three exposures from that trip, separate from my digital files made for work, but they carry a distinct energy. There’s something timeless about watching the two children in motion, suspended as if flying. In a way, it mirrors the exhibition itself: a journey through time, fragments, and rediscovery. Diana Agunbiade-Kolawole Natalia Muntea: Your work often documents Black diasporic communities. In this show, do these documentary images transform when displayed as fragments divorced from their sociopolitical context?Diana Agunbiade-Kolawole: I think in the company and context, the images hold up and produce more questions than offer the expected resolution answers. My work is centred around lived experiences and as a Black woman in the West, making work on the spectrum

Månvarv: Lotta Törnroth’s Dialogue with Loss text Natalia Muntean Lotta Törnroth’s exhibition Månvarv at Konstnärshuset explores grief, memory, and the lingering presence of loss following her father’s death. Through photography, she reflects on absence, particularly through images of her mother, who evolved from a reluctant subject to a central figure in the work. An intimate installation features a photograph of Törnroth with her father, a “lens lice” who loved the camera. The moon, captured annually since his passing, becomes a recurring motif, symbolising both solace and continuity. Curated by Koshik Zaman, the exhibition is part of a broader focus on contemporary photography, together with Spoiled Image, and runs from May 10 to June 7. Natalia Muntean: The exhibition centres on your annual tradition of photographing the full moon, which started as a way to cope with your father’s impending death. Has the act of photographing the moon shifted from distraction to something else? Lotta Törnroth: It has been a shift from distraction to something I really need to do, almost like an obsession. Photographing the moon has become a treasure to me, almost more important than going to my father’s grave. NM: From what I gathered, in the exhibition, your father appears directly in only one photograph, yet his presence lingers elsewhere, through your mother, the moon, or the “spirit” mentioned in the text. How did you decide what to exclude from the visual narrative? LT: My father is all over the exhibition, as you say, but I decided to present only one image of him in this show. It’s a photograph of the two of us together, and this image is crucial for the narrative of the exhibition, so I chose to let it shine on its own. NM: Your mother, initially reluctant, became a recurring figure in the project. What dynamic were you trying to capture through her? Did her role change after your father’s death, and did the camera alter your relationship with her?LT: I started photographing her at the same time as my father. In the beginning, I was inspired by Freud and the theory of psychological projection. But photographing her has always felt more violent, and when it became clear that it was my emotions I wanted to show through her, I focused on my father. Then, when he died, something happened. After a while, she was happier, and I saw her through the camera in a different way. Which also made those photographs lighter and more playful. NM: You’ve committed to photographing the moon annually for the rest of your life. Has the ritual itself become a form of dialogue with your father, or does it serve another purpose now? LT: I write in my book Lunar Cycles that I photographed the moon to show it to my father. I know how much he would have loved to see it. And I find the act of photographing is a way of returning to that feeling I had at first. That act is in my body, not so much in the framed photograph. NM: Are there moments of grief you couldn’t photograph, or chose not to? What did the medium fail to capture, and how did you navigate that absence?LT: Yes, many times, it has been many scenes I wanted to photograph that I wasn’t brave enough to capture. There have also been times when I did take photos, but I failed with the exposures. I always photograph with analogue medium format or large format, and many things can go wrong. But that is also what I love about photographing with analogue film, the images that did not get exposed are still in my mind. They become memories, and sometimes that is the best image.

Stockholm Art Week: An Interview With Mark Frygell text Zohra Vanlerberghe Mark Frygell’s art thrives in the liminal space between the grotesque and the playful, where ambiguity sparks open-ended narratives. Born in Umeå’s punk scene and shaped by years as a tattooist, his paintings, vibrant, textured, and teeming with surreal characters, invite viewers into a world where fantasy collides with the uncanny. From Renaissance graffiti to surreal memes, his influences are as eclectic as his output: a testament to a practice driven by curiosity rather than convention. Natalia Muntean: Your work often blends the grotesque with the playful, exploring ambiguity and fantasy. How do you approach creating these contrasting elements, and what do you hope viewers take away from your art? Mark Frygell: I hope that what the viewer is taking away is very subjective. To a large extent, when you grow as an artist, you drift further and further away from designing an artwork to have a certain effect on the world and, instead, the outcome of your process becomes something you trust the viewer will find its way in relationship to. Nowadays, we are so used to having things packaged and served to us and, in that sense, artistic work is more important than ever to break that habit and help us see things for what they are. It’s a “shields down” kind of approach, I suppose. In the studio, I am most interested in experimenting and discovering where it leads and what the outcome might be. Then, of course, I have my background, taste and hang-ups that colour the aesthetics of what I do. I rarely think too conceptually about what a piece should be or what is good or bad, a failure or a success. Curiosity and interest in the medium, whichever that is, are what drive me to the studio every day. I have some sort of obsession with the imaginative and grotesque that colour my work, not as an intention but more as a consequence. I have thought about it a lot and there is something in it that feels transgressive and limitless. Ever since I was a kid, I have had a huge interest in the wonky, weird, and odd. From Garbage Pail Kids and Weirdo Comics to underground roleplaying game illustrations, renaissance graffiti, the Neue Sachlichkeit of the early 20th century, and even the surreal memes created by teenagers in Blender, I am drawn to unconventional forms of expression. A couple of years ago, I discovered that the word “grotesque” originates from “grotto-esque,” an aesthetic trend from 15th-century Italy. This trend started when a farmer fell through a hole and found a hidden festive building built by Emperor Nero, with walls adorned by surreal paintings of plants, animals, and humans. Initially, these images were seen as strange and fantastical, but over time, the word began to take on a negative connotation of “ugly,” influenced by conservative views seeking to uphold the status quo. NM: Growing up in Umeå’s alternative music scene and working as a tattoo artist, how have these diverse experiences influenced your artistic style and multidisciplinary approach? MF: It has shaped everything I do! One of the advantages of being part of the alternative music scene is its small size, which encourages participation. This creates an environment that is very supportive of creativity. Even if you’re young and inexperienced, you receive a lot of encouragement to explore your talents. As far as tattoos go, I think it has coloured my work less. When I started working professionally with tattooingvaround 2011, the “wild style” was quite new, and adopting a more artistic approach was an interesting way to work. In that sense, the art coloured the tattooing more than the other way around. Around 2015, I was also very lucky to become friends with Emil Särelind (Frogmagik) of Deepwood Tattoo in Stockholm. He had studied at Konstfack and was very dedicated to working in a similar vein. It was an interesting time when most other studios focused on traditional tattoos, while the entire scene began to feel stale. He played a significant role in shaping the tattoo landscape in Sweden that we have today, particularly by consistently inviting tattoo artists with similar ideas from all over the world for the past 10 years. NM: During your residency with the Mack Art Foundation in NYC, how did the city and its art scene influence your creative process, and what was the most memorable part of that experience? MF: It’s an amazing city, very inspirational, and many people are extremely dedicated to what they are doing in a way that just boosts your creativity. I spent a lot of time walking around all over Brooklyn, Manhattan and Long Island. This is my favourite thing to do in general when I am travelling. You see so much and a new interesting discovery is just a corner away. Of course, it is a luxury to be able to see amazing art shows, alternative music scenes and all the awesome food but it all pales in comparison to just exploring the streets in a city of this magnitude. It maintains its universe somehow. Mack Art is also a fantastic residency that was so supportive and made my day-to-day life and work very easy. Christine who runs it is a super active person who just makes things happen. NM: You’re collaborating with A Day’s March and have a unique relationship with clothing. How does fashion intersect with your art, and what can we expect from this collaboration? MF: I have a terrible fashion sense myself. Most of the time I just dress in things I have stumbled upon. I don’t really go shopping, and I think most of my clothes are basically memorabilia from my travels, printed shirts that friends have made, and sportswear because it’s comfortable. Plus, I tend to mess up my clothes with paint and stuff anyway. With that said, I love looking at people and how they express themselves, and in my paintings I like to come

YOU’VE will come. GOT THE LOVE, An Interview with Liselotte Watkins  Natalia Muntean images courtesy of Liselotte Watkins and CFHILL “I am a kiosk,” says Liselotte Watkins. For Watkins, a kiosk is more than a nostalgic nod to the disappearing newsstands of Italy, it’s a metaphor for her art, a space where history, memory, and everyday objects collide to tell stories that bridge the past and present. Her need to see new things and experience new places has taken her from a small town in Sweden to Texas, New York, Paris, Rome and now Tuscany. “Moving around has shaped me,“ she says. “I’m like a treasure hunter. I collect experiences, and they come back to me years later.” Watkins says that challenging herself in new environments has done her good and that she enjoys diving into the culture wherever she finds herself. “When I came to Tuscany, I wanted to learn everything about the Renaissance, the Medici, Florence. I immerse myself in it, and that expands my world,” she says. In her latest exhibition, Edicola, at CFHILL Gallery in Stockholm, Watkins tells stories, of which she has many, all kept in “a bank of memories” she draws from. She weaves together fragments of art history, personal narratives, and pop culture into a tapestry that is as thought-provoking as it is visually stunning. In Edicola, stories both old and new are confronted, engaged in dialogue, creating a bridge between what has been, what is and what YOU’VE will come. Natalia Muntean: You started as an illustrator, working with big names like Vogue, Prada, and Marimekko. What led to your transition from illustration to becoming an artist?Liselotte Watkins: When I moved to New York, I was just surviving. Fashion was exciting in the ’90s, and I got my first job at Barneys. I didn’t know much about fashion, so I studied everything: designers, editors, history. Knowing my stuff helped me a lot. But over time, fashion became less about knowledge and more about being part of the “cool” crowd. I got bored. I’ve always drawn and painted, so the transition felt natural. I didn’t think, “Now I’m an artist.” It just happened. The discipline I learned as an illustrator still helps me – I get up in the morning and go to the studio. That’s what I’m used to. NM: What happens when you get to your studio and there’s no inspiration?LW: Inspiration doesn’t just come. You have to work for it. If you’re constantly working, thinking, and immersed in it, it’s more about curiosity. If my curiosity ever faded, I’d be really upset. If I woke up and felt like, “Oh, I don’t want to know or see or think about anything today,” that would be sad. But inspiration… I don’t even know what that is. I can feel inspired to clean the he house, but inspiration to paint? That’s just what I do. NM: You don’t see it as something that randomly visits you. It’s more like a muscle that you train.LW: Of course! I don’t think any artist would say it just comes and visits like a muse. It’s not like the old Greeks, where you’d pray to the Muses and hope they’d show up. You have to put that idea aside. If you start thinking like. that, you’ll just sit there and do nothing. Nothing’s going to come if you wait for it. No one’s going to knock on your door and say, “Hi, I’m your muse.” And I think that’s depressing for some people to hear because they think artists just sit around and wait for inspiration. I can’t speak for everyone, but I don’t think it works that way. By doing, you make things happen. NM: Do you have any rituals to get you in the mood to work?LW: I drink coffee, and I need to have some quiet time. I take walks with my dogs and think about what I need to do that day: what’s a priority, what can wait. But when I’m in my studio, it’s my little bubble. NM: Do you usually have a plan for what to work on, or is it more intuitive?LW: Everything is planned. Even if the plan doesn’t always go accordingly, I have an idea. I research, think, do more research, and have different projects going. I also try to have a project that involves other people so I don’t isolate myself completely. You have to include people in your work. It’s better to share and collaborate because if you keep everything to yourself, it can be hindering. NM: Are you comfortable with feedback?LW: Yes, but that’s something I learned as a commercial illustrator. You get harsh feedback sometimes, and it taught me not to take it personally. Now I’m more stubborn because my work is more personal. I argue more. Now I think, “Why don’t they get it?” But you have to stop that. The people I work with now are young, and they know so much about today. You have to be open to that. I can’t sit here thinking I’m some kind of veteran. NM: What is your earliest memory of creating something, or painting?LW: I didn’t grow up in a very creative home. My mother was a dog trainer and painted dogs for other people. She was quite good at it, but it wasn’t a creative environment. We didn’t have art books or go to exhibitions. But I was always drawing. In a very Swedish way, in the 70s, nobody acknowledged it. It was just something you did. I always had the highest grades in drawing, but no one said, “Oh, you’re really good at it.” It was like, “Everybody’s equal. Don’t make anyone feel special.” That’s kind of why I went to the States. I needed a break. I knew I was good at drawing, not a genius, but it made me feel good. It was a big part of finding out who I was. I explored myself through drawing. It was a place where I felt good about myself. I didn’t even know it was something you could do

As Above, So Below” – Klara Lilja and Royal Copenhagen create a dreamy universe with their new collaboration text Natalia Muntean “The idea comes from the French court in the 16th century, where they made platters that weren’t meant for eating but had various decorative elements on them. I really wanted my identity to be visible in these pieces, so even in 50 years, there would be no doubt about who made them,” says Danish sculptor Klara Lilja about ‘As Above, So Below’, her freshly launched collaboration with Royal Copenhagen. The imaginative collaboration marks the continuation of Royal Copenhagen’s rich legacy of elevating artists, inviting them to share their unique interpretations of porcelain.Klara Lilja’s 25 platters delve into themes closely connected to nature. Each platter features 120 to 180 meticulously handcrafted details, creating an organic narrative that highlights flora and fauna. “My style is quite lush and wild, whereas Royal Copenhagen has a very perfectionistic approach. But common for us is that we value quality over quantity. The works we have created I’ve made as complex as I possibly could because I knew the porcelain factory’s craftsmen could handle it. I wanted to push them as well as myself,” says Klara Lilja. Each piece also incorporates historical references to Royal Copenhagen’s artistic heritage, with elements such as starfish, butterflies, snails, and flowers adding an enchanting dimension. The collection comprises three sections: Ocean, Land and Air, with each platter being unique. “From the very beginning, you could feel Klara’s genuine passion, and it’s been exciting to see how our craftsmen have been able to take her more daring expressions and create their version of them. Klara Lilja is clearly present in the pieces, but at the same time, they showcase our craftsmen’s exceptional skills,” says Jasper Toron Nielsen, Creative Director for Royal Copenhagen. Klara Lilja X Royal Copenhagen launched on the porcelain factory’s 250th anniversary, May 1st. The artworks will be displayed in Royal Copenhagen’s flagship store in Amagertorv in Copenhagen from May 2nd to the beginning of August 2025.

Stockholm Art Week: Iria Leino: An Interview With Darren Warner & Peter Hastings Falk text Zohra Vanlerberghe The late Finnish-American artist Iria Leino (1932–2022) lived a life of radical reinvention, from a 1950s Parisian fashion icon to a reclusive New York painter whose vibrant abstractions remained hidden for decades. Now, her work is being rediscovered as a vital missing link in postwar abstraction, blending the intensity of the New York School with the depth of Buddhist philosophy. On the occasion of her dual presentations during Stockholm Art Week, at Market Art Fair and a solo takeover of the former Galerie Nordenhake space, Darren Warner, from Larsen Warner Gallery in Stockholm, and curator of the Iria Leino Trust in New York, Peter Hastings Falk, discuss her extraordinary legacy and life. Natalia Muntean: What inspired you to bring Iria Leino’s work into the spotlight now? Darren Warner: Iria’s story is fascinating; she was born in Helsinki in 1932, moved to Paris around 1955 and became an iconic model for Christian Dior and Pierre Cardin. She abandoned acclaim in Paris to move to New York in 1964 to fulfil her lifelong desire to become an artist, working in near solitude for over 50 years. In her lifetime, Leino rarely engaged with galleries, instead, Leino opted for an existence devoted to her studio practice and her faith in Buddhism, and much like pioneering artists such as Hilma af Klint, saw her work as a means of spiritual enlightenment rather than a commercial endeavour. Leino’s experimentation and manipulation of acrylic pigments during the ’60s and ’70s is of particular significance; alongside her peers in the second wave of the New York School such as Helen Frankenthaler, Keneth Noland and Larry Poons, Leino was a pioneer in the development of a more lyrical abstraction, an antidote to the more gestural abstract expressionism that had come before. After she died in 2022, there were over 1000 paintings and works on paper left within her Soho loft; an extraordinary time capsule of works of exceptional quality that helps broaden the story of 20th century abstract painting in a powerful way. NM: Leino abandoned a successful modelling career for a secluded life of painting – how did this shift influence her artistic voice? How did her faith shape her creative process? Peter Hastings Falk: Iria never intended to become reclusive. She wanted to be as much a star in the art world as she had become in the fashion and modelling world. While in New York, major dealers, such as the legendary Leo Castelli, visited her and liked her work very much but she was impatient about waiting in line and always wound up turning them off. Throughout her life, she battled many demons and struggled at times with bouts of bulimia and anorexia. She had countless boyfriends, and at least four of them proposed marriage to her but she rejected all of them. To her, men were like children, requiring too much work, and they would get in the way of her painting time. Iria was full of contradictions. But through her conversion to Buddhism in 1968, she found a consistent philosophy and a way to focus on her art. This allowed her to express herself authentically and compellingly, as she was not a follower of the New York Abstract Expressionist painters and not derivative of her more famous peers. Her use of colour and techniques often came to her from dreams, which she recorded consistently in her journals. Even the spiral sgraffito in her colour field paintings were not just decorative elements, they had deep life meanings. NM: Why did you choose to present the Colour Field and Buddhist Rain series, and what do they reveal about her evolution as an artist? DW: In Leino’s work, you are swept into an ethereal world where the artist’s abstract manifestations skillfully capture the spiritual dimensions of our inner selves. Favouring the contemplative nature of pure colour and its sensuous immediacy over the spontaneous intensity of gestural abstraction, Leino dedicated several years to developing dozens of immersive colour fields and lyrically abstract paintings. The Colour Field and Buddhist Rain series are the first two collections that ignited Leino’s lifelong exploration of the viscosity of acrylic paint across various styles. Each series embodies key elements of Iria’s practice and serves as an ideal introduction to her extensive body of work, which includes many definitive series. NM: Why was Stockholm the right place to launch Leino’s work in Scandinavia, especially during Art Week? DW: Iria had a long-held relationship with Sweden and Stockholm in particular. She had learned Swedish and made many Swedish connections through her time at the Swedish Girls School in Helsinki. Iria’s journals start in 1955 but she made many references to spending her summers working in Stockholm as a waitress, this would have been from around 1950 through to 1954. Market Art Fair and Stockholm Art Week provide a perfect platform to present Iria’s groundbreaking painting to a Swedish audience for the first time in nearly 50 years. Iria was included in the exhibition ‘Finsk bild: aktuell skulptur, måleri och grafik at Liljevalchs Konsthall in 1977 where she showed a selection of works from her Buddhist Rain series so the idea that we could present her work within the same space nearly 50 years later felt like a wonderful full circle moment. During this period, Stockholm emerges as a central hub for the broader Scandinavian art community. This makes it an ideal moment to pay tribute to and spotlight an important yet under-recognised Scandinavian painter, who we believe is one of the most significant Svandinavian artistic discoveries of the last 50 years.

Stockholm Art Week: An Interview With Joanna Sundström & Lill Lindqvist text Zohra Vanlerberghe Some collaborations just click. Joanna Sundström, founder of Stockholm Art Week and Lill Lindqvist, Head of Membership & Communications at Soho House Stockholm, have forged a partnership that blends art and energy in a way that feels uniquely Stockholm. Their latest collaboration for Stockholm Art Week brings back what works, intimate artist talks, bold installations in Soho House’s iconic space, and that unforgettable closing party, while introducing fresh twists to surprise even returning attendees. Natalia Muntean: How did this partnership come about, and what makes it such a natural fit? Joanna Sundström: This was Lill’s idea from the start. She’s a visionary and a true art lover. I’ll never forget when we went to an art exhibition 15 years ago, she was completely drawn in and said, “I’d love to be involved in something like this.” Not long after, we organised our first event together. That’s the power of art – it sparks emotions and meaningful conversations.Lill Lindqvist: I met Joanna through a mutual friend when I was new to Stockholm, and I’ll always be grateful for the way she introduced me to the city’s art scene. My background is in nightlife, and over the years, we’ve hosted quite a few Stockholm Art Week events together – they’re honestly my favourites. I love the mix of people: artists, gallerists, collectors, and creatives. It makes for such a dynamic atmosphere.JS: Soho House is already a hub for open-minded creatives, and art naturally enhances that. The space itself, a hidden old church in the middle of Stockholm, is breathtaking, but what excites me most is how they’ve brought contemporary artists into the mix.LL: This partnership really grew out of our longstanding connection and shared love for the arts. Stockholm Art Week is all about bringing artists, galleries, and audiences together, and Soho House, with its focus on curated creative experiences, was the perfect match. It allows us to reach new people who are just as passionate about art and culture as we are. NM: How will this collaboration enhance the Stockholm Art Week experience for Soho House members? JS/LL: Soho House members can expect a really special lineup during Stockholm Art Week: exclusive events, curated talks, and behind-the-scenes access to exhibitions and projects. Over the past three years, we’ve built up a strong program, from artist talks and studio visits to press breakfasts, all leading up to the grand finale – the closing party at Soho House Stockholm. It’s a chance to experience the art world in a more intimate and engaging way. NM: How does this collaboration support emerging or underrepresented artists? JS/LL: We’re both passionate about creating space for new voices in the arts. This partnership helps spotlight emerging and underrepresented artists, introducing them to a broader network of collectors, curators, and cultural influencers. Soho House has such a diverse and engaged community, giving these artists valuable exposure and opportunities to connect with the right people. NM: How does this collaboration bring art into the everyday lives of Soho House members? JS: Soho House is designed to inspire creativity, and art is woven into that experience. The House already has an incredible art collection, and its international curator, Kate Bryan, has done a fantastic job selecting works from local artists and building strong relationships with Swedish galleries.LL: And during Stockholm Art Week, that presence is amplified. The spaces come alive with curated installations, pop-up performances, and interactive experiences that encourage people to engage with art in a more natural, everyday way. It’s not just about looking at art, but about feeling part of it. NM: What are the must-see events from this collaboration? JS/LL: The official closing party has become a tradition, it’s always a standout moment. For the third year in a row, we’re hosting it in collaboration with Porsche, and it’s going to be a special night with art, curated drinks, and internationally renowned DJs who are deeply connected to the art world. Another highlight is the guided tour of Market Art Fair, which members always look forward to. NM: What’s been the most exciting or challenging part of bringing these worlds together? JS/LL: The best part has been the creative energy between our teams. Soho House has this amazing ability to curate intimate but impactful experiences, which has allowed us to present artists in really fresh ways. At first, one challenge was the fact that Soho House is a private members’ club, but we found a great solution by introducing an external guest list for Art Week events. It worked out even better than we expected because it opened the House to new people and made the Stockholm art scene feel a little less exclusive. NM: Where do you see this collaboration going in the future? JS: This is definitely an ongoing partnership. We want to keep creating meaningful opportunities for artists while growing Stockholm’s creative community. Looking ahead, we’re excited about expanding into artist residencies, mentorship programs, and international collaborations that put Stockholm on the map as a hub for contemporary art.LL: After three years, it really feels like our organisations are intertwined. Stockholm Art Week is one of the most important moments of the year, and I think this partnership has helped make the city’s art scene feel more open and accessible to a wider audience. We’re just getting started!

Heather Chontos on Intuition, Nature, and Turning Paintings into Rugs text Ulrika Lindqvist For multidisciplinary artist Heather Chontos, creativity is less a career choice than a way of being, spontaneous, intuitive, and inseparable from daily life. Speaking from her farm in Portugal, Chontos reflects on her journey from set design to abstract painting, her recent collaboration with Swedish design brand LAYERED, and how wildflowers, light, and chance encounters continue to shape her practice. Ulrika Lindqvist: Hi Heather, can you tell us how long you’ve been working as an artist, and what first drew you to this path? Heather Chontos: I have always been an artist in one form or another. I always drew and made things as a child, and my work as an artist of one type started officially at 18 as a prop stylist and set designer. Then I moved on to fashion illustration and art direction. I was all the while painting but did not fully commit until I was 30 , so 16 years now. It was always just obvious to me, it is who I am. UL: How did your collaboration with Layered come to life, and what has that creative exchange been like for you? HC: It all happened very randomly on my end. My daughter is half Swedish and lives in Stockholm,  studying for her masters degree. So when I saw it was a Swedish company contacting me, I was intrigued.  The exchange has been very fluid and easy . They have an amazing team of people who are truly respectful of my work and the individual creative process. It has been a lot of fun to see the artwork come to life in a new way. UL: Three of your paintings have recently been reimagined as rugs. Can you walk us through how you chose which pieces to transform? HC: I didn’t choose the works on my own. I think  they have a very clear vision at LAYERED and understand what works best with the way the rugs are made. I came to see the showroom to understand the different methods of weaving and it helped me understand the vast  possibilities. Lisa Nyman, the designer at LAYERED truly looks at the artwork and understands how it can be transformed through this new medium, so it was a joint effort in choosing the works. UL: Nature seems to play a significant role in your work. Are there any specific landscapes or environments that particularly inspire you? HC: I love every little piece of the landscape around me at home in Portugal, the wildflowers and red grasses, the insects and birds, the cork oak trees and rocky cliffs and formations. I just have to walk out my front door and it is right there for me. What us. Most important, is the light . Nature has many shades of light and thus bring my attention to many different parts of nature all day long. UL: Looking back on your career so far, are there any projects or moments that feel especially meaningful or memorable? HC: Yes, the ceiling I painted in Paris this year was a new challenge for me. I painted 90 sq meters of beamed ceiling in a historical private residence . There were a lot of challenges to making it, but the result was a wonderful new version of my work. UL: Can you share a bit about your creative process? Do you have any rituals or routines that help spark new ideas? HC: I don’t have any rituals. I work very spontaneously . I have a working farm here with horses and chickens and dogs, so I paint in between doing chores. I find that it is so very engrained in what I am doing every waking and non waking minute of my life that I can’t really separate it out, it’s like breathing or drinking water, I just have to do it. It has chosen me. UL: What does an ordinary day in the studio look like for you? HC: I am always working on more than one thing, and I tend to work in the studio and around it outside. I have multiple tables and surfaces where I work on various things. I am always moving around from one thing to the next. There is no ordinary day. UL: How would you describe your personal interior style at home? HC: Eclectic and very focused on everything being handmade UL: And finally, what’s on the horizon for you? Are there any upcoming projects or ideas you’re especially excited about? HC: Yes, I have many projects, some I can mention, some I cannot… I have an exhibition in The Hague, Netherlands, where I will fill an entire house with my work, that opens in May and then the exhibition schedule for 2025-2026 is in the works for Paris and possibly Portugal.I just built a house and am trying to finish all of its details, so that will be my other main focus. I can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction to the rug collaboration. I think they are so wonderful. I am very grateful.  

Two New York Feminists Discuss Their Booth at Future Fair text Zohra Vanlerberghe New Yorkers, whether they are born or bred, are a certain kind of breed. They know what they want and are not afraid to go get it. For those in the creative sphere, this means a work and life that is curated, full of collaboration, and where art often spills into personhood—Lesley Bodzy, is no exception, exceptionally chic (we love the photos that accompany this piece), she always looks impeccable and put together, with Jackie O as her ultimate inspiration. “What can I say, I love style,” she told me on the phone while we were discussing this Odalisque feature. Her sculptural work tackles themes of youth, beauty, time, and aging with deft, subtlety, and humor through material exploration, incorporating materials as diverse as latex, meat hooks, ribbons, acrylic paint pours, paper bags, bronze, glitter, and resin. It is daring to uncover societal pressures, fears, and hopes head-on and to dismantle what she calls the ‘artifice’—our second skin. Erica Criss, an artist and curator, has found her livelihood in supporting artists through her consultancy Criss Collaborations, and is showing Bodzy’s work during New York’s Art Week in May.. Criss has curated more than thirty exhibitions, of which three were with Bodzy. Both are unapologetically feminist. I invited them to discuss their newest show that will be opening on May 7th at Future Fair. Lesley Bodzy: Someone asked me how I came up with curating my work on multiple levels, eye level, above-head, and on the floor. This is really something that curators have led me to do. Including you, Erica. I see the role of the curator as enhancing my work and bringing it to the public eye in ways I can not even imagine. I think you should tell Odalisque’s readers more about your curatorial vision for Future Fair and how you think about curating, because it is very interesting. Erica Criss: My vision for Future Fair is to continue the conversation that was started last year between you and Katie Commodore in Womanhood 102—titled like a university class. You have both been hard at work creating new pieces, and I’m excited to debut several of them at the fair. I love how your works speak to each other. When curating a show like this, or any show really, I am considering the space, the artworks, and the audience. I am always thinking about how I can activate the space, how the works play off of each other, and what is going to draw people in. It is kind of like thinking of the exhibition as an artwork itself. I paired you as artists who both explore vulnerabilities from a place of strength. You both approach your subject matter boldly and make interesting use of your materials. Commodore’s meticulous peyote stitching and your free ideation of latex and resin, in new ways, made for an interesting contrast. What I didn’t expect was Commodore’s work, which is overtly sexual, bringing more covert aspects out of your own. Can you speak about the overt and covert nature of your work and its material?   LB: My work is about aging and its effect on female beauty and sexuality. The latex works are wrinkled and deflating, yet still beautiful and compelling. As we age, women should still be considered attractive and desirable—that is, both the covert and the overt message. I think of myself as two-faced, my real self and my artifice, the latter are the more performative aspects of who I am. Women are encouraged more than men to develop their artifice, but men can hace very sophisticated ones too. How long have we worked together? And how many exhibitions of my work have you curated? EC: We were just talking about this the other day and couldn’t believe we’ve been working together for three years. Including Future Fair, I have curated three exhibitions with you. However, we have collaborated on over thirty exhibitions. So much goes into curating a show; it is not just about choosing the artworks. We work together on everything from digital marketing and installation logistics to graphic design. LB: Yes. You have supported so many artists. From your time at Manhattan Graphics Center as director of operations and chief curator, and at Kent State University, where you curated The Women’s Printmaking Invitational 2022 with over 100 artworks, and now your independent curatorial work. The world is always changing, as is the art world—what do you think artists need right now? EC: The art world is always changing, but what hasn’t changed is the artists’ need for support. I am also an artist and received an MFA from KSU. Having both experiences, as an artist and art administrator, I realized that the majority of artists do not think of their practice as a business. Traditionally, galleries handle all of the artist’s “business needs” like online presence, artist statements, marketing, sales, and more. The competition for gallery representation (and opportunities in general) is so oversaturated that the artist now has to be their own business to compete. This is one of the main reasons I started Criss Collaborations—to offer individual artists all of the services a gallery would offer, plus more. LB: Why did you decide to curate another feminist show? We have spoken about feminism at length together, and I think readers need to hear your opinion. How do you define your own feminism? EC:  For myself, feminism is about recognizing women for their talents, uplifting the female voice, and redefining narratives to fit the female perspective. It is also about just being true to yourself. Last year, I showed you and Katie together for the first time in Womanhood 102. When I started that show, I felt a little scared at first because your work was so different visually. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make the connections for the audience. But the more I spoke with both of you, the more I realized you were tackling the same overarching issues through different lenses. The show was so powerful, in both its