AiR: Lina Baeckström in Kunming

Swedish artist Lina Baeckström was invited to live and work in Kunming for one month, here is the introduction from the artist:

I was TCG Nordica’s Artist in Residence during the month of April this year, but my journey began back in 2007. For one year the city of Kunming in southwest China was the place I called home. I was one of the culture course students and also a volunteer in Nordica’s Art Gallery. Through my work in the gallery I had the opportunity to meet many great artists and see a lot of art, both local and foreign.

Two years later I returned to China to start working as an artist myself. In March 2010 I arrived in Beijing and during two weeks I explored the famous 798 art district which gave me a fantastic insight into contemporary Chinese art. Some of the photos I took near the art district are currently showing on the island of Gotland in Sweden where I have my very first photo exhibition called “751”.

As an artist in residence in Kunming I worked mainly with photography. My idea was to materialize my impressions of the Chinese society, with focus on allocation of power and Chinese history. I built different settings out of red and yellow LEGO that were photographed towards a blue background. Some settings were built with a specific place in mind like the Forbidden City; others were models after my perception of circumstances in the country in general. During my AIR month I gave a talk at English Corner in Nordica on the subject: “my 798 experience” and showed all my photos from Beijing and artefacts I bought in 798. While in Kunming I also had the opportunity to go to an art community in western Kunming to visit some artist studios and see their art. Having lived in USA, Sweden, UK and China I’ve come to realise how different our perspectives of the world can be depending on where we grow up. To incorporate this idea into the project I bought big round lanterns that symbolize different worlds once painted on. Working as an artist in residence I learned a lot about the various aspects of the life of an artist. The journey from idea to finished art work can truly be a magnificent roller coaster.

Lina Baeckström

The Secrets Of The Mirror

The swedish photographers Hilma & Maria’s exhibition: The Secrets Of The Mirror
Opening: Sat May 3rd 20:00
Duration: 2008-0503–end of May
Add:TCG Nordica UP-Gallery,Xiba lu 101,Kunming,Yunnan,China
Tel:0871-4114692 or 4114691
www.tcgnordica.com

“The photos are a mix from Scandinavia and southeast Asia. The pictures have different thems, mainly of nature.”

About the Artists
Maria and Hilma have moved from Sweden to live in Kunming in China for a year to take part in a culture course. During this year they have been inspired by Asian surroundings and have developed their photographic skills. “The Secrets Of The Mirror” is their very first exhibition and it is fortunate they have started to share their beautiful pictures with a bigger audience.
Lina Baeckstrom

Maria Stenlund
Maria Stenlund is 24 years old and an authorized nurse, she comes from the city of Leksand in Dalarna in Sweden. Maria’s interest in photography began when her twin sister Anna took a photo course when they were sixteen. Since then Maria has taken various courses in photography and have deepened her knowledge in different techniques. During this year she has been part of a documentary group and is the most frequent and appreciated photographer at events at Nordica. Maria’s photographs have two different themes: detail and documentary, both are presented in “the Secrets of the Mirror”. In her photographs Maria wishes to capture the very soul of the object, and manages to do so in close detailed pictures but also in pictures that holds larger scenery. She wants you to get the feeling of watching the object for the first time even though you’ve seen it a thousand times before. Maria wants to give you a glimpse of heaven, through the wonders of the earth.

Hilma Andersson
Hilma Andersson comes from the city of Kramfors in the north part of Sweden. Hilma is 26 years old and holds a bachelor degree in social work. As a social worker Hilma has lived and worked in Uganda, Africa, during three different periods in 2006 and 2007. Her interest in photography began to bloom when she borrowed her father’s old camera in 2003. During a visit to a minority park in Yunnan last fall, her “photographic eye” opened and she discovered a new style of creating an image. This changed Hilma’s view towards a more experimental and artistic way of taking pictures. From this moment Hilma started taking the type of photos presented in “The Secret’s Of The Mirror”. Hilma’s pictures have one theme but ranges from being very peaceful with a more clear image to being playful with a more abstract feeling. Hilma is fascinated by reflections in the water and how it can speak to ones imagination, creating new, vivid images.

Lina Baeckstrom
Kunming, China,2008-04-30