Guerrilla Gardening, phase 2 (year 2)

Guerrilla Gardening: Vasaparken, Falun 2009-
Photodocumentation of phase 2 (year 2)
Dimensions variable




































Last weekend Karin and I visited Falun and we were happy to see that our yellow crocus trail is back on the slope of Vasaparken. It looks slightly different from last year so perhaps only one of the two flower types used survived this year's cold winter - or the remaining ones have yet to wake up from their winter sleep.

It's only the trail's second year and already it offers a sense of familiar recollection. Like seeing an old friend.

For project history see the earlier posts, starting from November 2009 (Guerrilla Gardening: Vasaparken, Falun 2009-)

Design for Hagabion

Hagabion (tote bag design), 2010
Digital image
Dimensions and colours variable















Over the last few months I have been part of a small design group at Hagabion, Gothenburg's independent cinema, with the mission to develop a new design for a tote bag to be sold at the cinema. Work began in early April and since then we've had several feedback rounds on a wide variety of individual designs. Many proposals were discarded, others developed further, and a few made it all the way to the final round where one of my designs, inspired by the sign above the cinema entrance, was chosen for the first load of tote bags which has just returned from the production.

Bags can be bought for 40 SEK at the cinema ticket office, and are avaiblable in an off-white print on black fabric as well as purple on green (limited edition).

Hagabion
Linnégatan 21
Gothenburg, Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)31 42 88 10

Opening hours:
Mon - Fri 17-21
Sat - Sun 13-21


Other designs of mine, at various stages of development (might show up on other forms of printed material in the future).

Guerrilla Gardening, phase 2 (year 1)

Guerrilla Gardening: Vasaparken, Falun 2009-
Photo-documentation of phase 2 (year 1)
Dimensions variable


Photographs by Karin Nordmark




































Spring has arrived in Falun! The result of Karin's and my efforts in October last year, as part of our Guerrilla Gardening project, has begun to reveal itself as planned and a trail of yellow crocus flowers now stretches from Vasaparken down to the road island.

As crocuses are perennial they will continue to surface on this spot in coming years. There's also a possibility that Karin and I will make additions to this project in various ways.

Background info and photodocumentation of phase 1

The Industrial Religion, images & press

Golden calf, 2010
Jute string, wire
16 x 22 x 10 cm
Installation view & detail


This slightly physically disabled (/cyborg) calf has been equipped with a wire wheel and is otherwise crocheted using jute, "the Golden Fibre". The Golden Calf is commonly understood as a symbol of idolization, or as a critique of the pursuit of wealth. The hebrew word for calf can (according to a currently unconfirmed source) also mean circle.





















Images from the opening









Curator Magnus Sjöbleke (right)









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Media coverage / reviews (in Swedish)

"Religiös kitsch är temat - Galleri J inviger sin påskutställning idag
En temautställning om religiös kitsch startar i dag på Galleri J i Falkenberg. 14 konstnärer från när och fjärran finns med i 'Den industriella religionen – den religiösa evolutionen'. Ordet kitsch är ett låneord från tyska eller jiddisch och syftar vanligen på konst, hantverk och litteratur som är producerad på ett billigt sätt och utan konstnärligt engagemang. Men som samtidigt kopierar och gärna överdriver former från dyrare verk..."
Read the article

KONSTPOST - POSTKONST, opening 6 March 2010

Untitled, 2010
Envelopes with re-used stamps
23 x 32,5 cm each









On saturday, the open-call exhibition KONSTPOST - POSTKONST opens at Sigtuna Kulturgård. Anyone interested has over the last couple of months been able to send in 1-3 artworks, with the only criterion being that the consignment itself is the artwork - exactly as it is sent.

Begreppet "Postkonst" är en översättning av engelskans "mail art" och är en genre inom konceptkonsten, där konstverken är objekt som går att skicka med posten. Själva konstverket kan vara gjort i vilken teknik som helst; teckning, måleri, collage, textil konst, etc - så länge det går att frankera. Konstverket ska alltså inte ligga inuti försändelsen, utan det är själva försändelsen - med frimärken och allt - som är konstverket.

Some of the submissions can be viewed on their website.

Unfortunately I am unable to attend the exhibition myself, but I'm interested to know whether my intentionally plain envelopes with re-used stamps have been recognised as submissions - or whether they've been lost amongst the piles of cut-and-paste items that seem to characterise the other sent-in goods. For myself I decided (this time): less is more.

The exhibition stays on until March 21.

Föreningen Sigtuna Kulturgård
Stora Nygatan 1
Sigtuna, Sweden
Tel: +46 (8) 592 515 08

Opening hours:
Saturdays and Sundays 12-16

Guerrilla Gardening: Vasaparken, Falun 2009-

Two weekends ago, garden designer Karin Nordmark and I headed out into Falun to launch a Guerrilla Gardening venture that stretches into next year - and beyond. It is sprung from one of Karin's earlier projects involving the Guerilla Gardening concept but has surely also benefited from our last colloboration (namely the previously mentioned correspondence project that we have been running throughout this year and which recently ended).

During our 5 hours of work on this rather chilly Saturday night we encountered three initially suspicous but later friendly police officers and an assortion of talkative passers-by in various stages of alcohol intoxication, among others.

The chosen site consists of a centrally located grass slope stretching from Vasaparken over to a spacious road island that used to harbour a flower bed spelling "welcome", which has apparently been discontinued.

We now await spring.

Guerrilla Gardening: Vasaparken, Falun 2009-
Photo-documentation of phase 1
10,2 x 18cm each














































Overview of phase 2
10,2 x 18cm









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Update 30 December 2009:

Today the Language Council of Sweden has released its list of new words for this year, including a swedish version of Guerrilla Gardening.

Fröbomba ("seed bombing") - plantera på offentliga platser utan tillstånd
(the act of planting on a public site withouth permission).
Language Council website (in Swedish)