To portray vulnerability

Wednesday, 28 September, 16:30–18:30 hrs.

Studio 3, 3rd floor, Kulturhuset (Culture House) Stockholm, Sergels torg. Free admission.

Tina Enghoff’s photographs tell of consequences of the Danish immigration policy. The exhibition at the Stockholm Culture House, entitled “I am nothing,” is an artistic project as well as a contribution to the debate on human rights. In connection to the exhibition a discussion series will be arranged in collaboration with the Anna Lindh Memorial Fund, to address the questions the works deal with. The exhibition is open 30 June through 9 October, 2011.
On 29 September, there will be a discussion on how to portray vulnerability and how art and policy can work together to affect public opinion.

How to balance between the desire to tell a story and the integrity of the people portrayed? Does vulnerability put the artist in a position of greater responsibility? On what conditions can art be political?

Also participating, apart from Tina Enghoff, is artist Anna Odell, whose degree project “Unknown woman” created a huge debate on psychiatric care and art; journalist and filmmaker Svante Tidholm, who portrayed a brothel in Berlin in the documentary “Like a pasha”; and artists Dror Feiler and Gunilla Sköld Feiler who created their own platform in the gallery Tegen2, currently with the exhibition “In the face of risk.”

Moderator for the talk will be Sophie Allgårdh, art critic in Svenska Dagbladet, author and, 2006 through 2010, editor of art magazine Paletten.
The Stockholm Culture House in collaboration with the Swedish Art Critics Association.

The debate will be held in Swedish.

Open talk on art criticism in a growing region

Malmö Konsthall (Malmö Art Hall), 14 September 2011, 19:00–21:00 hrs. Free admission.

Opening speakers:
Linda Fagerström; art critic, PhD in art history, lecturer in Cultural Sciences and Design Theory at K3, Malmö University
Elena Tzotzi, curator, Signal Center for contemporary art, Malmö
Dan Jönsson, art critic, Dagens Nyheter
Moderator: Thomas Millroth; art critic, art historian and curator

The art life changes. In southern Sweden and in Denmark it expands, looking for new expressions and locations. The Malmö Art Academy has gained great importance. Artists from all over the world move here, the relations with Copenhagen and Berlin tend to grow stronger. New galleries open while artist-driven initiatives are strong.
What is the role of criticism in daily papers in this process?
How does the criticism reflect new and old art?
Is criticism a part of the discussion on art?
And the classic question returns: for whom do we write criticism?

This evening, our talk on art criticism will focus on Skåne. The idea is for the talk to be open to the audience. We have specially invited art critics, artists, gallerists and museum people. We would like an evening with an animated and interesting discussion. Therefore, we have no actual panel, but have chosen a few interesting opening speakers. Elena Tzotzi represents an active gallery and a meeting place in an alternative art scene, Linda Fagerström has a perspective that comprises gender as well as a historic view of the importance, design and contents of criticism. Dan Jönsson has great experience as a culture journalist in newspapers and radio.

The evening is arranged by the Culture Desk of Sydsvenskan in collaboration with the Swedish Art Critics Association and Malmö Konsthall (Malmö Art Hall).