Explosion – Portrait of a Mistress, 2017
Silicone rubber
285 x 667 cm
“Explosive Vision” takes place at Gasverket, designed by Ferdinand Boberg in 1903, a venue of both social and historical significance, inviting visitors to an exhibition where past and present intertwine.
The exhibition is a playful encounter between Black Iris’s wide-open pupil and the weathered Gas House, in an intoxicating, gas-powered blend of forward-looking visions resonating with the deteriorating surroundings. The industrial site is transformed into a laboratory for artistic experimentation and with gas as a catalyst the artworks reflect on altered states of mind and the impermanence of existence.
Previously, Gasverket served as a gathering place where Stockholm residents collected their gas tokens. Today, the Black Iris collective combines the site’s history with the contemporary art scene, resulting in a bold collision of old and new. From neon lights to the rhythmic hum of machinery, gas is an often-overlooked element of our environment. Like a ubiquitous and ephemeral gas, the artworks ignite fleeting moments and preserve them for eternity.
Featured artists are Maria Nordin, Gunilla Klingberg, Johan Thurfjell, Matthias van Arkel, Stefan Otto, Anneè Olofsson, Juan Pedro Fabra Guemberena, Anna Camner, Ulrika Sparre, Marcus Mårtenson, Julia Peirone, and Éva Mag.