Helena Mutanen

Interview

How would you describe the work you were doing when you received the Maria Bonnier Dahlin Scholarship, and what did the scholarship mean to you?

In 1998, I was working with smaller objects and sculptures using a variety of materials and techniques. At the time, I was also developing a long-term project titled Monument, which consisted of a growing candle sculpture.

At the Royal Institute of Art graduation exhibition in 1998, I presented two works. One was an installation featuring large seashells fitted with speakers that played melancholic music. I also exhibited an aluminum-cast poodle titled Peruuk (Wig).

The scholarship meant a great deal to me. It provided recognition and visibility, and it was encouraging to have my work acknowledged.

What discussions characterized the art scene at the time, and what was particularly important to you?

In Sweden, discussions often centered around the “death of painting” and the architecture of the newly opened Moderna Museet. For me personally, graduating from the Royal Institute of Art and beginning to work independently in my own studio was especially significant.

What exhibitions, films, and books were important to you, and what music did you listen to?

The exhibition Sensation at the Royal Academy in London in 1997, featuring the Young British Artists (YBA), was important to me. I was particularly interested in the installations and sculptures shown there.

I watched horror films and psychological thrillers and listened to a wide range of music, including Mazzy Star, Led Zeppelin, and Death Before Disco, which also inspired the title of one of my works.

If you were to identify a person who was particularly influential in Swedish art at the time, who would it be and why?

Art critic Lars O. Ericsson, who wrote for Dagens Nyheter, had significant influence on the Swedish art scene at the time. Positive or negative reviews could strongly affect the visibility of an artist’s work.

How would you describe the social and political climate at the time, and were there any events that particularly affected your work?

I focused deeply on my own background and personal stories, themes that continue to be important in my work today. Although everyone is shaped by the social climate of their time, I find it difficult to identify any single event that directly influenced my work. I remember the atmosphere of 1998 as somewhat dark and uneasy beneath the surface.

When you look back and compare the art world then and now, what changes stand out the most?

Art criticism occupied much more space in newspapers at the time. There were fewer galleries, exhibition spaces, and artists. A major art fair in Sollentuna brought together galleries, art schools, and collectors in one place.

Today, the art world feels more dispersed. In terms of artistic content, however, I do not think art itself has changed dramatically. What has changed most is technology, especially image and video production, which has simplified artistic production for many artists.

What are you working on today?

I am currently working on a project titled Jus soli and Jus sanguinis, which explores questions of belonging. The project resulted in the large suspended textile sculpture Conjoined Roots, shown at OpenArt in Örebro in 2015.

The work was later adapted and exhibited together with additional works at Pilane Sculpture Park in summer 2016. Alongside this project, I continue to develop and experiment with waxing techniques for textile materials.

This text is an excerpt from Samlade stipendiater!: 30 år med Maria Bonnier Dahlins stiftelse, edited by Niclas Östlind (2016). Stockholm: Bonnier Fakta.