A man in a suit in the forest, ants in his hands. A moving lamp. A solitary artist carrying sticks. Helena Norell and Mats Landström both work with film and photography, images of reality that enter into the realm of the absurd. Since meeting in 2016, they have worked side by side both within their individual practices and in the joint project Månadsbilder, which can be found on Instagram under the hashtag norell_landstrom and on Facebook. Mats Landström’s cinematic photographs and short films carry a tragicomic tone; he both reflects and questions social norms. In Helena Norell’s video works, reality instead becomes surreal and animated, with furniture moving on its own. In her painting, chalk lines materialize against transparent backgrounds. Their artistic practices are visually strong and filled with humor, inviting the viewer in. We are not here to admire; we are here to participate, to play, to question, and perhaps to change the world.

Helena Norell
Helena Norell works with painting, installation, and video. Her abstract painting explores color and composition, often through simple geometric forms. Her artistic practice carries an infectious joy and appears deceptively light and playful. Yet it is neither accommodating nor simple, but rather fearless and cheerfully unruly. In this exhibition, Norell also presents her short films, focusing on the objects that surround us.

Mats Landström
Mats Landström works with film, photography, and video. In his cinematic storytelling, Landström himself assumes the role of the man in the dark suit, a classic figure found in the work of artists such as Magritte, as well as a dress code associated with men of power and importance. Landström’s work problematizes contemporary norms surrounding happiness and success, as well as issues of class and gender identity.