Drömmar ur kolmörkret med elva konstnärer från Sverige och Finland

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS: Anna Berglind (SE), Kalle Brolin (SE), Alvaro Campo (SE), Ida Idaida (SE), Lisa Jonasson (SE), Åsa Lockner (SE), Johanna Lonka (FI), Pia Männikkö (FI), Antti-Ville Reinikainen (FI), Hanna Stahle (SE), Hanna Vahvaselkä (FI)

Tuesday–Sunday, 12 a.m  – 5 p.m
The opening day 15 August, the opening speech and an artist talk at 1 p.m
Free admission – Welcome!

At first, everything is dark. Or almost everything—there is a small sliver of light that has found its way in. The eyes find something to focus on, and the sliver of light begins to guide them. After a few seconds, the eyes adjust and other senses become activated; suddenly, the body can find its bearings. Out of what was just dark as coal, contours begin to take shape. Sometimes something familiar emerges; at other times, something uncertain appears—something that may seem frightening or spark the imagination. The light in the room leads us towards the art.

Eleven artists from Sweden and Finland explore the coal house as a site, starting from coal, its symbolic significance, its history, and its status as a site of conflict. Once upon a time, the old coal house in Hälleforsnäs played a vital role for the ironworks and the surrounding community. The coal stored in the building was essential to the processing of iron. What once drove the development of industrialisation is today one of the great climate challenges of our time. It has been many years since coal ceased to play a role in Hälleforsnäs, but the building remains, along with fragmented traces of the work that reveal the history of the building and of the people who once walked in and out of the enormous, cool, dark structure.

Approaching the darkness and expanse of the building from different perspectives, the artists create multidisciplinary artworks that move, glow, float, creak, drip, and grow in the dim space. In the darkness, art can illuminate what is dangerous, pitch-black, and despairing—but never without hope and magic. Should we dare to approach the darkness and continue to dream? Perhaps it is absolutely necessary?

https://kraft.konstframjandet.se/aktuellt/drommar-i-kolmorkret

 Dreams out of the Coal Dark is organised by Konstfrämjandet Kraft, a non-profit association based in Sörmland. We focus on issues relating to transition and the power of art, and are affiliated with the national association Folkrörelsernas Konstfrämjande.