Tobias Sjöberg Free Radicals

9 April 2015 3 May 2015

Soloexhibition och performance
Project rooms, Färgfabriken

The exhibition Free Radicals (Fria Radikaler in Swedish) revolves around transgression and the freedom of movement.

The boundary is dissolved, the movement is free!

The exhibition Free Radicals revolves around transgression and the freedom of movement. By working with living materials that transform when in contact with their surroundings, the exhibition aims to evoke thoughts that can relate to both existential ideas and the transition between tangible and intangible conditions, such as to current and political realities in which the personal relationship to a boundary may be a question of us and them, me and you, life and death.

What is a free body? Central to the exhibition is a series of sculptures with the title Freikörperkultur (free body culture). The series is made of arranged sustenances consisting of oxygen, salt, sugar and fat (cream). The sculptures are carefully arranged in repetitive patterns, spritzed freehand in one single movement, across mirrors on the floor of the exhibition hall. The works have a measured lifespan and are, through their contents, in a constant act of crossing boundaries, towards transformation. Meanwhile, they can also be seen as a sort of survival kit containing everything a human body needs to survive.

Tobias Sjöberg often works with reactive materials or situations that have an inherent counter-movement. The actual event or act preceding the creation of his works is often tangibly present. The works in the exhibition at Färgfabriken can be associated to both play and survival, an arrangement of the actual sustenance and living space. At the same time, they can be likened to symbols, territorial limitations, or to fallen banners in a battle against the surrounding “free radicals” (the oxygen). A performance artwork is also part of the exhibition, presented on opening day where parents and children gather round unison movement patterns in the exhibition space at Färgfabriken.

Exhibition catalogue

In connection with the exhibition, a newly produced anthology/artist book is being launched titled Freikörperkultur, with texts by Gunnar Olsson (geographer), Jonna Bornemark (philosopher) and Lukas Sålby (author). The book is a joint production with publisher Arvinius + Ofreus Publishing AB (www.arvinius.se). During the exhibition period, there will also be a series of pubic talks and guided tours performed by specially invited guests.

The anthology Freikörperkultur is available in Färgfabriken´s shop.

In 2010 Tobias Sjöberg exhibited the videoinstallation Revolutions at Färgfabriken Norr in Östersund.