Alte Schweden is an artist duo formed in 2012, consisting of Joakim Hansson (FI) and Sebastian Mügge (SE), both graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Umeå, SE, at masters level. Alte Schweden mainly works with experimental installatorial projects with participatory aspects from the audience. Their main focus lies on discovering how societies (re)gain identity and distinct visions of the future. For each project they choose to collaborate with an external artist or artist group preferably with a local connection to the area they work in.
Working like Alte Schweden can be a delicate balancing act because the end result is never set, the audience is often involved as an active participant and co-creator. Alte Schweden tries to fill the space between different and/or conflicting views in order to trigger curiosity, questioning and uncertainty.
Depending on the project they choose to work within public space and/or within the white cube. They want to bring together different audiences and make them meet inside the works that often are site-specific. The way Alte Schweden sees it, interhuman and political questions that might be difficult to address in a more traditional setting, such as trauma, identity and prejudice, can be explored openly and unconditionally by using artistic means. An example of this is bringing together rival groups to work on parts of an installation, the outcome is often surprising and above expectation. Alte Schweden´s work is often presented as a site-specific installation consisting of various techniques such as video, photo, sound, performance, found objects, or anything else that fits the theme. They mainly work with museums, non-profit galleries, kunsthalles and community based organisations. Alte Schweden´s work is often based on the findings through a residency or similar research environment, past residencies includes Kultuuritehaas Polymer in Tallinn, Estonia and GeoAIR in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Alte Schweden takes a keen interest in the development of the first generations of people born into post-revolutionary and post-war societies and often work in areas such as ex-Yugoslavia, and the former U.S.S.R.
Working like Alte Schweden can be a delicate balancing act because the end result is never set, the audience is often involved as an active participant and co-creator. Alte Schweden tries to fill the space between different and/or conflicting views in order to trigger curiosity, questioning and uncertainty.
Depending on the project they choose to work within public space and/or within the white cube. They want to bring together different audiences and make them meet inside the works that often are site-specific. The way Alte Schweden sees it, interhuman and political questions that might be difficult to address in a more traditional setting, such as trauma, identity and prejudice, can be explored openly and unconditionally by using artistic means. An example of this is bringing together rival groups to work on parts of an installation, the outcome is often surprising and above expectation. Alte Schweden´s work is often presented as a site-specific installation consisting of various techniques such as video, photo, sound, performance, found objects, or anything else that fits the theme. They mainly work with museums, non-profit galleries, kunsthalles and community based organisations. Alte Schweden´s work is often based on the findings through a residency or similar research environment, past residencies includes Kultuuritehaas Polymer in Tallinn, Estonia and GeoAIR in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Alte Schweden takes a keen interest in the development of the first generations of people born into post-revolutionary and post-war societies and often work in areas such as ex-Yugoslavia, and the former U.S.S.R.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2018
Group Show and performance with artist-run-galleries Svends Bibliotek (Copenhagen, DK) & Galleri GRO (Jakobstad, FI) at Supermarket 2018 Independent Art Fair, Stockholm, SE (forthcoming)
Stopped: Medvezhyegorsk Regional Museum, Medvezhyegorsk, RU (cancelled by state censorship / Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Karelia, Russian Federation)
Stopped: Vyhod Media Center, Petrozavodsk, RU (cancelled by state censorship / Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Karelia, Russian Federation)
2017
Möhkönvirta Contemporary Art Show, Ilomantsi, FI
2016
Solyankaparty, Vyhod Media Center, Petrozavodsk, RU
2015
Get it all, and more!, Väsby Konsthall, Upplands Väsby, SE
2014
Tbilisi, Lost and found in transit, Kalmar Konstmuseum, SE
Survival Kit 6 International Contemporary Art Festival / The Utopian City, LCCA, Riga, LV
Street Arts Festival Mostar, Mostar, BA
2013
Балтийская лента, Pärnu City Gallery, Pärnu, EE
Om Revolutionen Kommer, Kalmar Konstmuseum, Kalmar, SE
The Singing Revolution and then what?, Glashuset2014, Umeå, SE
Stora Nolia Fair, Culture path/Umeå2014, Umeå, SE
The Singing Revolution and then what?, Kultuuritehas Polymer, Tallinn, EE
2012
Survival Kit 4 International Contemporary Art Festival / Timeline Hotel, Sigulda, LV
RESIDENCIES
2016
Karelian art residence (AiR Karelia), Petrozavodsk, RU
2014
GeoAIR, Tbilisi, GE
Art Centre Totaldobže, Riga, LV
Alternative Culture Centre Gracanica, Kosovo
2013
Pärnu Artist House, Pärnu, EE
Culture Factory Polymer, Tallinn, EE
2012
Survival Kit, Sigulda, LV
GRANTS
TAIKE / Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Travel grant (2017)
IASPIS / Swedish Arts Grants Committee - International cultural exchange grant (2017)
Nordic Culture Point, mobility funding (2017)
Travel grant through the program "Joining Creativity" funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers (2016)
IASPIS / Swedish Arts Grants Committee - International cultural exchange grant (2016)
Ester Lindahls Stipendiefond / Travel grant (2016)
Nordic-Baltic Mobility / Culture grant (2014)
STEP Beyond Travel Grant, European Cultural Foundation (2014)
Byggnads Culture Grant (2014)
Swedish Cultural Foundation travel grant (2014)
Nordic-Baltic Mobility / Culture grant (2013)
Nordic-Baltic Mobility / Culture grant (2013)
Cultural Boost Grant / Project funding by Umeå2014 European Capital of Culture (2012)
MISCELLANEOUS
Public art commission for the city of Petrozavodsk, RU (forthcoming, 2018)
Participant in "Northern Paradise" art camp, Möhkö, FI (2017)
International Winter Festival “Hyperborea-2017”, Petrozavodsk, RU (2017)
Lecture on the topic of public and functional art (arranged by Swedish-Karelian Business Center and the city of Petrozavodsk, RU, 2016)
Presentation, Artist Talk & performance at Vyhod Media Center, Petrozavodsk, RU (2016)
"GROSSES TREFFEN", professional network event between Nordic artists and curators (organized by the Nordic Embassies Berlin), Berlin, DE (2016)
Presentation & performance at Center of Contemporary Art, Tbilisi, GE (2014)
Lecture, Georgian-Swedish Skype dinner and performance at Kalmar Konstmuseum, SE (2014)
Workshop with students from Öland Art School and finissage at Kalmar Konstmuseum, SE (2014)
PUBLICATIONS
2018
Supermarket Independent Art Fair 2018, exhibition catalog (forthcoming)
2017
Joining Creativity, publication on the topic creative industries as an instrument of social and economic development of the Republic of Karelia/Russian Federation (funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers)
Möhkönvirta Nykytaidenäyttely 2017, exhibition catalog (Publisher: Northerns Paradise international art project)
2014
SURVIVAL KIT 6, exhibition catalogue (Publisher: Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art)
2013
Om revolutionen kommer, exhibition brochure (Publisher: Kalmar Konstmuseum, curator: Anneli Berglund)
SELECTED PRESS AND REVIEWS
TT News Agency, Erika Josefsson, Helvetesstudier och konstfull anarki, February 2, 2018
Arbetarbladet, Bodil Juggas, Hoforskonstnär blev censurerad i Ryssland, January 10, 2018
Dagens Nyheter, Sverker Lenas, Svenska konstnärer censurerade i Ryssland, January 9, 2018
Gefle Dagblad, Kristian Ekenberg, Hofors-konstnär Joakim Hansson har censurerats i Ryssland: "Det hör inte hemma i konstvärlden", January 9, 2018
Österbottens tidning, Patrik Back, Konst censurerad i Karelen, January 6, 2018
Vasabladet, Patrik Back, Konst censurerad i Karelen, January 6, 2018
Karjalan Sanomat, Anna Umberg, Suomen ja Karjalan naapurisuhteet tähtäimessä, November 16, 2016
TV-spot and interview on Россия 1, Карелия (in Finnish on Russia 1, Karelia), November 3, 2016
Play Nordic, Kathrin Gemein, Grosses Treffen: Netzwerk nordischer Künstler, April 19, 2016
Barometern, Mikael Hagner, Georgien, soffsamtal och självporträtt på museet, October 24, 2014
Lettische Presseschau, Udo Bongartz, Survival Kit 6 - Horror vacui im Richard-Wagner-Saal, September 25, 2014
Västerbottens-Kuriren, Margith Norman, Man måste släppa kontrollen, July 1, 2014
KalmarPosten, Sara Dahlström, Konstnärlig workshop med krut i, February 5, 2014
Ölandsbladet, Carin Svensson, En annan utställning än då, January 21, 2014
Sveriges Radio, Nyheter P4 Kalmar, Erika Norberg, Museets besökare var med och gjorde revolution, January 16, 2014
Östran, Andreas Yngvesson, Utställning med frihet att ändras, January 16, 2014
Pärnu Postimees, Anu Jürisson, Rootsi kunstnikud intervjueerisid pärnakaid, November 29, 2013
Pärnu Postimees, Rootsi kunstnikud teevad välknäituse, November 23, 2013
KalmarPosten, Sara Jonasson, Revolutionen i fokus på Konstmuseet, October 24, 2013
Vilks.net, Lars Vilks, I dagarna tre, September 29, 2013
Barometern, Mikael Hagner, Om revolutionen kommer, September 28, 2013
Sveriges Radio, Nyheter P4 Kalmar, Erika Norberg, Du uppmanas dela dina revolutionära idéer, September 27, 2013
Östran, Olof af Wåhlberg, Kapsyler och körsång på Kalmar konstmuseum, September 27, 2013
COLLECTIONS
Kalmar Konstmuseum (SE)
Region Västerbotten (SE)
