High Risk High Reward (2023)
5m x 2,5m.
CARE site specific mural, spray paint on wall
BAD LUCK BABY zine 32 pages, metal fence
Untitled HD video, 17min 40sec, screen, headphones
Before Röda Sten Konsthall became an artistic institution, it was a subcultural hub for young artists, graffiti painters, squatters, and nightlife enthusiasts in Gothenburg. Traces of this history can be found in the building's premises, where the old infrastructure and its graffiti are preserved as part of the building's management agreement. Despite this, it is not permitted to create new graffiti in the space.
The artwork "High Risk High Reward" was thus executed as a reminder of the building's history, but also as a critique of the double-standard approach to the ongoing graffiti scene, which is not allowed inside the premises but rather outside. Therefore, we see a multimodal installation featuring a "piece" with the text "care" written in the graffiti genre “antistyle", a handheld night vision video documenting a "mission," and a DIY zine mounted on a fence often used to shield rail yards from intruders. The individual pieces continuously reference each other by utilising the same words and phrases while at the same time consisting of elements taken directly from the scene.
Untitled
2023
20min 40sec
HD video, screen, headphones
We witness two anonymous individuals on a mission, engaged in a high-risk painting assignment. We observe how they navigate the area, communicate with each other, and ultimately execute the act of painting, accompanied by a self-reflective subtitle acknowledging the act. The film is shot using night vision, referencing both surveillance and potential evidence should the act go wrong. In contrast to traditional graffiti films, which often feature music, quick cuts, and large public murals, this film demands time. All considerations, uncertainties, and experiences that are typically edited out are included precisely because it's not just about the end result, but rather the act itself.
