Artists’ Books
October 1–November 27, 2016
Lunds konsthall is very pleased to open two new exhibitions. One is about Staffan Nihlén and is in response to requests from many visitors. It takes place in the lower galleries. The other is an in-depth presentation of artists’ books and is shown in the upper gallery.
Nihlén’s stone sculptures appear to be both well-planned and instantaneous. It is as if the stone shapes are incubating hidden stories—ones that the artist coaxes out of the stone mass. Nihlén describes how he stopped using ready-made blocks of stone and instead sought out rocks in natural settings. In these irregular shapes he finds an appeal that is nature’s own. “It is not always obvious what already existed in the stone and what I have brought forth from its interior myself,” he says, affirming an open work process in which artistic expression and Nature’s own deposits meet in the finished work of art. A similar process is found in the earlier wood and metal sculptures that reuse remnants of the industrial age.
This exhibition focuses mainly on Nihlén’s sculptures and includes both new and older works. A separate artist’s book, produced for the parallel exhibition, presents an insight into the artist’s work with texts and drawings.
Artists’ books are an art form practised by many artists. An artist’s book can appear in many guises but its key characteristic is that it has been compiled by an artist and is sometimes completely handmade. The edition is limited and there may only be a single unique copy. An artist’s book is more than just a book with illustrations by an artist; the entire product is a cohesive work of art.
We are now exhibiting over 100 artists, a handful of whom have contributed completely new works. They are Leontine Arvidsson, Nina Canell & Robin Watkins, Ditte Ejlerskov, Sven-Åke Johansson, Marie Raffn, Cia Rinne, Trine Struwe, Sara Wallgren and Richard Årlin. The exhibition also includes historical material that stretches back to the period after World War II, when the world seriously began to regard the art of bookmaking as an artistic form of expression. The curator is Thomas Millroth.
The exhibition coincides with the 250th anniversary of the Swedish Press Act, which guaranteed freedom of the press in Sweden. In view of this we would also like to draw attention to our small book room of literature relating to the gallery’s exhibitions.
