In the Magic Carpets Residency at OpenArt 2024, three artists conducted research and produced artworks that were showcased at OPENART 2024, the art biennial in Örebro, Sweden. These artworks were exhibited in public spaces from June to September, accessible to visitors day and night.
The residency featured Ukrainian artist Viktoriia Tofan, based in Wrocław, Poland, and Swedish artists Hanna Stansvik and Cecilia Jansson, both of whom have ties to Örebro County. These artists, coming from diverse backgrounds and artistic practices, explored the intersections of private and public spheres, examining how society is perceived by its inhabitants. At times, their works merged the private with the public; at others, they sought to delineate them.
Hanna Stansvik
Hanna Stansvik lives and works in Stockholm but has deep roots in Örebro County, where she began her artistic journey at Örebro Art School. Her practice focuses on intimacy and ordinariness, often depicting herself in candid poses that invite the spectator into her private world.
During her residency, Hanna conducted workshops at Hällefors Kulturskola (Culture School) in northern Örebro County. She worked with four groups of children, ranging in age from 7 to 14, meeting with each group three times during the spring. Together, they explored self-image through the creation of clay self-portraits.
Hanna produced two installations during her residency, continuing her exploration of self-image through her distinctive fleshy realism.
Typical Girls
This installation featured three life-sized models of Hanna in ordinary poses – dressed in casual home wear like sweatpants and baggy jumpers, reading a book or resting. The installation was displayed in a public park typically adorned with statues of idealised naked women or men in heroic postures. Hanna’s work challenged societal expectations of women to be both beautiful and productive, offering an alternative narrative that embraced ordinariness and rest.
One of These Days
Hanna created a large-scale mural on a central street in Örebro, depicting herself sitting on a footstool tying her boots while gazing intently at the viewer. The piercing stare shifted the power dynamics of the gaze, leaving the onlooker with a sense of intruding on her personal space
Cecilia Jansson
Cecilia Jansson, originally from southern Sweden, has lived and worked in Örebro for many years. Her art practice centres on the relationship between materials, often juxtaposing soft and hard elements to explore coexistence and conflict. Her work frequently engages with people’s histories and experiences.
Cecilia’s residency began with an exploration of the Easter Riot, a violent clash that occurred in Sveaparken, a public park in Örebro. The riot was sparked by plans from the right-wing party Stram Kurs to burn the Quran during Ramadan, leading to confrontations between protesters and police, as well as damage to public property.
The riot ignited a national debate on Sweden’s tradition of freedom of speech, questioning whether such provocative acts should be permissible in public spaces.
Drawing on her reflections and the physical aftermath of the riot – burned police cars, scorched trees, and melted lampposts – Cecilia created the artwork Untenable. This piece juxtaposed the transient nature of wood with the permanence of asphalt, symbolising the unsustainable layers of society. The work addressed both the growing polarisation in Sweden and the broader climate crisis.
Viktoriia Tofan
Viktoriia Tofan, a Ukrainian artist based in Poland, explores language as both a barrier and a portal for inclusion. Her work often draws on her personal experiences as an immigrant and her interest in history and storytelling, frequently incorporating embroidery into her projects.
In Örebro, Viktoriia examined how urban spaces create a sense of safety for their inhabitants. Through workshops with seniors from Träffpunkt Vesslan and young girls and non-binary individuals from Örebro Tjejjour, she investigated what defines a “safe place.” These sessions included interviews and creative activities.
From these interactions, Viktoriia created the artwork Safe Place, which was exhibited in Örebro’s central public park. The installation incorporated key elements from the workshops:
- Falu Red Colour: Symbolised the home and the private sphere.
- Mirrors: Captured and reflected light, a valuable resource during Sweden’s dark winters, creating a sense of safety while also inviting viewers to see themselves and others within the artwork.
Additionally, Viktoriia researched Örebro’s history, delving into archives to uncover photographs of places and people from the past. She embroidered these photographs with red thread and applied copper metal leaf to highlight specific details. The updated images were printed as postcards, weaving together past and present and encouraging continued dialogue about shared public spaces and their histories.
This residency highlighted the transformative potential of public art, bringing diverse perspectives together to explore the interplay of private and public spheres, history, and identity. Each artist’s contribution provided a unique lens through which to understand and experience the world around us.
Curatorial text by Sofia Gustafsson