“Live From Earth”-Carl G Torstenson’s solo exhibition

TCG Nordica-UP Gallery
Opening: 2008.11.24, Monday, 20:00
Duration: 2008.11.24-12.24
tel: 0871-4114962
Add: TCG Nordica, Chuangku, Xibalu 101#, Kunming
www.tcgnordica.com

Carl G Torstenson born in Uppsala Sweden 1948
As an artist he is working with sculpture, painting, and installations, mostly conseptional art or art projects on a theme. In theater and museums he is working with stage design, costumes and more. He started at the theater forty years ago and had his first solo art exhibition in -73.
Since then there have been around fifty solo exhibitions, mostly in Sweden, but also in the USA, Germany, Finland , Japan and Norway.
Since -90 he has worked with his art only and “œmaking rooms” is now in the center.
At first it was mostly impressionistic painting but from the beginning of the eighties the inner rooms slowly took over and the work with the theater and the art of his own was more and more influenced by each other.
He is now working in all materials, often in long time projects, often with existential problems like in the rice project Grow Now ltd that contains questions like who has the right to take patent on living materials, as seeds for example.
Rice is a material that he has bin using since -98 in many installations in various themes. One was about the Iraq war called “This is not a wedding”
Other themes have been “Predestination”, what are we borne to be or how to live and similar questions.
All the exhibitions usually contain both paintings and objects.
Participation in many international projects like Eventa II, III, and V on themes like: Wind, Water and Mankind.
During the year -07 there were many art projects in churches, and the latest was in Nykoping called “To measure what can not be measured”.
Carl G Torstenson has also made many public assignments and then often used sculpture and worked in different materials as a medium.
For the artwork and coming exhibitions in Kunming and Sweden Carl G Torstenson has together with the artist Annika Haglund collected local materials like soil and indigo and other nature materials during a two and a half months journey, all the way by train and bus from Sweden through Mongolia to Beijing, Inner Mongolia and then small mountain villages down to Kunming.

Exhibition in TCG Nordica KUNMING
by Carl G Torstenson

“LIVE FROM EARTH”
The impressions for this exhibition that I have called “LIVE FROM EARTH” comes from the present yourney through Asia together with the artist Annika Haglund
The trip began more than three months ago in Sweden and then we have been traveling with train all the way through Russia , Mongolia , Inner Mongolia, to Beijing and all the way down to Kunming where we are right now and have been working in a studio at TCG Nordica, a fantastic and inspiring place to work at and with so very nice people !
For this artwork, my exhibition in Kunming and also for coming projects in Sweden we have during this long trip collected local materials such as earth in different colors like the deep red Yunnan earth , Indigo blue and other nature materials for to use in the artwork in different ways.
Along the way we have been staying long periods in small villages high up in the mountains and there lived by the minority people. We have seen them working with the earth. Planting and digging, weaving, dying the fabrics and many other things coming from nature. Working hard along the steep mountainsides and there making it possible to grow on the small terraces. Also seen they carry everything they need up and down these mountains.
This project is a tribute for to grow the earth as well as for them who work with the earth and live in symbiosis with nature.
Then there is this question, is it the last generation we now see that is putting there hands in the earth or in the pot of Indigo?
.On the feather way through the Asian countries, that after Kunming goes to Vietnam and Cambodia the plan is to work and do small installations along the way where it is possible. The plan is also then to use local materials.

Madeleine Aleman: Colorful China

Colourful China – Madeleine Aleman’s recently works in Kunming

TCG Nordica-UP Gallery, Kunming, China
Opening: 2008/11/1, 20:00
Exhibition duration: 2008/11/1–11/22
Tel: 0086-871-4114962
Add:TCG Nordica, Xibalu 101#, Kunming, Yunnan.
www.tcgnordica.com

My experience as an A.I.R at TC/G Nordica in Kunming, China August – November 2008

It is a great adventure for me to be here in Kunming, which also is my first time in Asia. My intention of coming here was to put myself in a completely new context in purpose to change and grow. It took me about one month to “land” and get an everyday-life. Not knowing any Chinese even going to the shop to buy food is a trial: What is hidden in this beautiful package, beans, nuts or something else? I really appreciate not understanding though, it forces me to be present and communicate in other ways than with words.

I am happy that I am participating in Nordica’s program for residency in many ways: To immediately have good housing and a studio near other artists, to have a lot of nice people that helps me to get things I need, to be introduced to artists, visit their studios and be invited to exhibitions and all that with interpreter! Also to follow what’s going on at Nordica’s cultural centre and now, last but not least, have the opportunity to make an exhibition to share the outcome of the residency!

Actually I had about 2 months of intense work in the studio, since the first was “œlanding” and the last will be some travelling. The work from this period is diverse. Since I want to share my process I am not taking away pieces to make it look more coherent. I started with the “Kaleidoscope-paintings”, something I felt was easy, wanted to integrate China with Sweden, then the first idea leads to next and so on. I wanted to use all my new impressions, my minority clothes, paper cuts and Chinese characters.
I get inspired every day when I walk from my home to the studio on Xiba lu, now even called “My street”. This lovely throng of people playing, cooking, washing, working, nice smiles from old and young, children waving their hands and says: “Hello!”. Smells from food, the bakery, colours of fantastic plastic, vegetables and clothes. love Kunming!

Do you want to see more? Please visit my webpage: www.aleman.se

Thanks to all nice staff at Nordica, the lovely Kunming citizens and to you that visit my exhibition!
Special thanks to:
Luo Fei, for all interesting conversations about art, your lecture on Chinese contemporary art and that you took me to visit artists.
Tian Yao, for your help with so many different things, for interpreting, for bringing me on exhibition openings and other joyful events.

With love, Madeleine Aleman

Artists in Recidents 2007

Artists in Recidents 2007
Artists in Recidents

TCG Nordicas international exchange report

The second half of 2007 has bees a busy interesting time with many international contacts between TCG Nordica and Scandinavia.

During 2007 TCG Nordica has had several Artists in Residence.

Artists who have worked in the studios, held courses at TCG Nordica and lectures at the different Universities of Kunming. One of the ideas is to be able to utilize the knowledge and skills of these artists and provide an exchange of experiences among the artists and opportunities to network.

Artist in residence

June .July

Susanne Cheng, Denmark Susanne came in the end of June on a scholarship from Aeropagos. Susanne worked with silkpainting and had two workshops in TCG Nordicas new opened and rebuilt location.

Tibor Csikos came from Sweden on a scholarship in cooperation with Västra Götaland. He ended his tree AIR months with an exhibition there he sold some of his works.

This summer Photographers from Yunnan Ye Ju Lan, Zhang Yong Ning, Chen Lin, Dekun Shen, Wang Yuhui, showed their Exhibition “Children of China” in a cooperation together with Västra Götaland´s project “Buskul” at Drottning Silvia`s children hospital. The exhibition is showing the different situations and conditions put on children growing up in contemporary China.

August

Love protection project

5 Swedish artists Anneli Linder, Christina Nyström Jansson, Elisabeth Johansson, Linda Thörnblad, Else Månsson met and worked together with 6 Chines artists, Dou Yu, Sha Sha, Shi Zhijie, Wang Han, Zhang Yi. They ended their experiences with an exhibition together. The exhibition showed a great variety of material as silver, oil painting, textile weaving print, textile and metal sculptures.

Liu Lifen, Mao Xu Hui and Luo Fei visited Sweden and Norway with an Art exhibition of Kunming artists at Bohusläns Museeum.

Chines artists in the exhibition was Chen Changwei, Chen Qili, Guo Peng, Lei Yan, Li Ji, Liu Lifen, Liu Deng, Luo Fei, Mao Xuhui, Shen Qin, Sun Guojuan, Tao Jin, Wu Yiqiang, Xue Tao, Zhang Qiongfei, Zhao Quanghui

September

Arne Revheim from Fredrikstad, Norge, came for one months and worked in our studio there he had an open studio exhibition with his drawings and ink paintings.

Wu Yanxi , Kunming, went to Sweden and Norway on a exchange project and exhibition.

Agneta Segerfelt, Sweden, came in August to October and worked with silk painting and oil painting.

Annica Stubbs, Finland, was AIR 3/4 of the time and 1/4 volunteer at TCG Nordica helping out with photo documentation, workshops and other practical things. She visited an lepra village together with Xincon and made some photo documentation.

October — January 08

AnnaKarin Svensson, Sweden, came in October for a months and had an exhibition together with Eta Hedman. The exhibition work was textile sculptures, silkscreen prints, picture embroidery and collage.

Kaarina Ormio, Finland, came in October and will stay to March 08

Her work is a film production and textile works. The exhibition is January to Mars.

Sopheap Piech and Chath Piersath from Kambodja came November to January invited by TCG Nordica.

Chat Piersath showed his paintings and poetry at TCG Nordicas HIV/AIDS exhibition in December.

Sopheap Piech Worked in our studio with bamboo sculptures and paintings and had his exhibition together with Kaarina Ormio in January.

Kristina Henrysson, Sweden, has been studying as an exchange student at Yunnan Art Institute 5 months. Kristina is a student at Royal Academy in Stockholm.

Grete Refsum in TCG Nordica

Grete Refsum in TCG Nordica

Norwegian Artist and Art Professor Grete Refsum uses TCG Nordica’s guest studio for six months, March to September, 2006.

During her time in TCGNordica Grete worked on ”The Way of Christ – The Way of Dao”, a series containing seventeen independent pieces of work.

Grete Refsum’s work is an exploration of art and theology, and she has developed a very personal style using metal wire webs.

Sponsor: TCG Nordica/ Norad

Letters From Unknown

Letters From Unknown:Riitta Liede’s exhibition

Duration:2004/11/6-26
TCG Nordica Gallery

Mainly the exhibition “Letters from unknown” is about the fragility of the life. Those, whose voice doesn’t belong to the official voices, are easily put aside and ignored. As well people, animals than nature. Everything in this world has ability to speak, if we only can hear it.

The exhibition is also about everyone’s basic need to be seen and heard as oneself.
The world is full of messages, if we only can open them. The burden of unread messages is heavy, for it leaves the sender unknown in the heart.

“Nobody knows where I am. I’m just leaning on a pine tree.”
This is what Heikki wrote in the postcard to his wife. This was also that his wife wanted to be written on his gravestone which he had exploded himself. He was good professional in exploding. So good, that when he exploded his own house, the plants and bird nests around stayed untouched and went on living.

Swedish Artist Asa Herrgard’s Exhibition

Swedish Artist Asa Herrgard’s Exhibition
2004.8.28
TCG Nordica Gallery

Swedish Artist Asa Herrgard is from Nordic Watercolour Museum artist exchange project in 2004.

Workshop By Anna Carlsson

Workshop By Anna Carlsson, Sweden
August 9-Auguest 15,2003 (first artist-in-residence exchange project between TC/G Nordica and Water color Museum in Sweden )