Anastasia Savinova and Erik Thörnqvist, recipients of the Maria Bonnier Dahlin Foundation’s 2024 grant, present a dual exhibition at Bonniers Konsthall in Stockholm. Their distinct artistic languages, while showcased separately, share a common thread: the act of collecting and connecting disparate elements to forge new meanings. This approach resonates with the contemporary art scene, where stylistic boundaries are blurred, and artists draw inspiration from a vast reservoir of motifs, methods, and materials, creating individualized styles within each artwork and artistic practice.
Savinova’s work draws the viewer in with an immediate emotional appeal, which then unfolds into a thought-provoking intellectual experience. Her installation, ”Tidal Gathering,” features eight sculpted figures adorned with mussels, freshwater snail shells, feathers, seaweed, and salmon skin. These ”Waterwalk encounters,” as she calls them, seem to gravitate towards a video loop projected through a hole in the wall, titled ”Oceanic cathedral.” The video displays the gentle undulation of ocean waves, suggesting a mystical connection between the figures and the sea. The figures themselves evoke a sense of ancient goddesses, mythical beings, and the nested figures of Russian Babushka dolls, embodying layers of meaning and history within their forms. Savinova’s lifelong practice of collecting natural objects imbues her work with a personal connection to nature, particularly the Volga River of her childhood, and the symbolic richness of her father’s iconography.
This theme culminates in her large-scale installation, ”Dialects of the Deep.” Here, the sounds of the ocean and fish mating calls, composed in collaboration with sound artist John Andrew Wilhite and researcher Rebekah Oomen, fill the space. Three suspended wooden fishing boats from Kirkenäs, Norway, become resonant vessels, their hulls echoing both song and the visual metaphor of whales. Clusters of blue-green glass floats spill from the boats, and fish appear to rear in a display of procreation. This captivating work intertwines spirituality, eroticism, and deep-sea exploration, creating a multi-sensory and evocative environment.
In contrast to Savinova’s organic forms and muted lighting, Thörnqvist’s work occupies a brightly lit, almost industrial space. His sculptures, constructed from pipe fittings, cast body parts, gleaming aluminum, and intricately carved wood, reference architectural and design history. They initially appear as a complex assemblage of materials, but upon closer inspection, reveal a poignant commentary on the sterile and controlling nature of functionalist design. Thörnqvist’s childhood experiences of creating alternative Lego worlds and painting Warhammer figures served as a rebellion against the restrictive aesthetics of his surroundings, a theme that continues to inform his artistic practice.
Thörnqvist’s work challenges the impersonal nature of functionalist design by reintroducing human elements. A geometric metal climbing frame, traversed by bare human feet (cast from the artist’s own), stands in stark contrast to the sleek lines of a replica Charlotte Perriand chaise longue. This iconic piece of furniture is reimagined as a walking figure with outstretched arms and gleaming prosthetic feet in his work ”Standmaschine III.” This paradoxical ”standing machine” evokes a sense of unease, as if questioning the very nature of function and purpose within design. The piece also references Josef Hoffmann’s ironic ”Sitzmaschine” (sitting machine) from 1905, adding another layer of historical commentary.
Thörnqvist’s critical juxtapositions are often jarring, yet they also subtly depict how design and materials can exclude the unconventional and undesirable. In ”Politics of a hole,” a sensual opening in a cold, white tiled wall becomes a symbol of forbidden physical contact. Displayed on high pedestals are objects associated with homosexual subculture, such as the yellow carnation and the navy blue handkerchief. These elements introduce a layer of social critique, highlighting the ways in which design can reinforce societal norms and prejudices. Thörnqvist’s constructed world forms a tragicomic labyrinth of desire and suffering, exploring the complexities of human experience within designed environments.
Both Savinova and Thörnqvist, through their individual artistic expressions, engage with the act of collecting and connecting. Savinova gathers natural materials, imbuing them with personal and cultural significance, while Thörnqvist reappropriates design elements to critique the social and emotional impact of functionalism. Their contrasting approaches, presented together in this exhibition, offer a compelling reflection on the multifaceted nature of contemporary art and the diverse ways in which artists can engage with the world around them. Their works, despite their different aesthetics, resonate with a shared exploration of memory, identity, and the human relationship with the environment, both natural and constructed. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to witness two distinct artistic voices, united by their shared commitment to exploring complex themes through the evocative language of material and form.
