18 January — 25 January

Artists:

Shiva Anoushirvani (Sweden/Iran), Aurélien Collas (France), Davina Drummond (UK), Lo Hillarp (Sweden), Mia Jafari (UK/Iran), Patrick Kretschek (Sweden/Austria), Jérôme Lanon (France), Aleksander Motturi and Daito Manabe (Sweden/Japan), Paulina Simon (Sweden), Tobias Sjöberg (Sweden).

 

Curator: Shiva Anoushirvani

 

 

Myth of Reality is a project involving nine artists and a writer who has been invited to submit a "work in art format". The artists and writers' interpretations of myth today are mainly presented in a small flat in Stockholm, but also throughout other parts of the city. The main topic of the project deals with myth and the mythologies present in our everyday actions, as well as exploring myth as a general term; the artists have also been invited to reflect upon the potentially mythical role of the artist as a professional in society.

 

The idea behind the Myth of Reality exhibition is based on the book Mythologies by the French social theorist and Philosopher Roland Barthes. The book is a compilation of articles he wrote for the French magazine Les Lettres Nouvelles between 1954 and 1956. Barthes definition of myth is mostly related to everyday events; everything from popular culture and politics to people's attitudes towards motorcars, milk and wine is analysed in a transparent manner, pairing criticality with humour. Barthes was deeply fascinated by all that existed within the reign of the everyday and referred all from the construction of society, down to the nitty gritty parts of casual everyday occurrences, to the mythical. On his part, myth is constructed by false representation and is based on a faulty belief. Although his total work was published during the 1950-s, the content of the text is certainly applicable to our society today.

 

Barthes analyses of myth as an elaborated and constructed, therefore faulty, belief provides a platform for the exhibition. Emerging artists from England, Sweden, France, Iran and Austria have been called to examine their embedded perceptions of myth. Reflecting on the way the mythical trickles through everyday actions, the Myth of Reality exhibition also encourages scrutiny into the contemporary art fields' involvement with the central theme of everyday myth. Some of the artists have submitted older pieces of art, while others have created new work for the purpose of the show.

 

The exhibition opens in a home, a place of recognition for most of us, and also a place where myths have always been created. In a small 24m² apartment in Stockholm, works are displayed and presented in different forms. Some artists have chosen to work site-specific. The curator and the creator of the M&R project, Shiva Anoushirvani, has chosen to install the work as an integral part of the interior.

 

 

Myth of Reality will also present a work of art by the writer, social theorist and founder of the "Clandestino Music Festival".

 

Aleksander Motturi, the Swedish writer, has been invited to the exhibition site in order to submit a "work in art format" that deals with everyday myth. The idea of inviting a person who does not normally communicate through visual art gives us opportunity to pose questions into common perceptions and understandings of matters connected with contemporary fine arts. At stake are mythical tokens of artistry still in circulation today- be they recycled in artistic output or serving purpose in branding new professional niches.

 

 

Shiva Anoushirvani,
Stockholm
September 07