This artwork is permanently installed at Rudenschöldsskolan in Lidköping, situated in the light and spacious new entrance designed by Link Architects. This piece, crafted using a traditional wood inlay technique, consists of three sections joined together to create a four-meter-tall installation that reaches up to the high ceilings.

Inspiration is drawn from the neighboring lake Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden hosting a myriad of lifeforms. This work invites the viewer beneath the surface to catch a glimpse of the diversity that surrounds us. In this work sections from the lake's various depths are woven together into a collage. In a playful approach to scale, microscopic organisms are highlighted, algal strands are enlarged, and small creatures are brought into focus to make visible the remarkable beings we share our surroundings with. 

All life began in the sea and has evolved from the same small organism, prokaryotes, single-celled organisms. The artwork features Cyanobacteria alongside ancient species such as the eel, and includes local inhabitants like the mountain char, brook trout, mosaic darner, and signal crayfish. Water lilies, eelgrass, hair grass, goat's beard algae, and stiff bream grass are plants that emerge in the work. Biological facts are rendered through an imaginative interpretation, with the purpose to spark curiosity and inspire exploration.

In this piece, water serves as a metaphor; as the origin of all life, it embodies imagination while reminding us of the wonders of existence. By focusing on the local, we open our eyes to the global, as water in its circular flow crosses all boundaries and moves across the Earth through streams, rivers, snow, and rain in its constant movement back to the sea. Through the circulation of water across bodies, species, countries, and matter, we are interconnected with all living beings.

The work is commissioned by Lidköping muncipality.

Intarsia craft executed in collaboration with cabinet maker Ola Hansson.

Photos by Daniel Strandrot.

Forest Lifeforms is a series of artworks created for a permanent installation at Bottnaryd school outside Jönköping. The project is inspired by the old-growth forest that surrounds the school, celebrating the diversity of lifeforms that make up the forest ecosystem. The installation is commissioned by Jönköping Municipality for the new building designed by Tengbom Architects and is situated in three entrances across the building. The art is site-specific and created to form a dialogue with the architecture. 

The work is a tribute to the life, both great and small, that surrounds us and enables our existence. Bottnaryd’s old-growth forest is full of fascinating, beautiful, and unusual plants, animals, fungi, and birds. There are ancient trees of pine and spruce and an abundance of dead wood, the old-growth forest serves as a reservoir for species that do not survive in a production forest. In addition to being a fantastic place for learning about the forest ecosystem, the old-growth forest is a place for imagination and creativity.

The artworks are created in intarsia, a traditional technique where shaped pieces of wood veneer are placed together to form a larger motif. The time-consuming process reflects on the potential of wood and serves as a tribute to the material's durability. The craftsmanship is carried out in close collaboration with master carpenter Ola Hansson, Jon Bjellerup, and Viktor Selin. 

The project is commissioned by Jönköping Municipality and is guided by Artplatform.

The marquetry wall tells a story of an enchanted forest and the mystique of the far north; never ending summer nights, wild swims in forest lakes and midnight sun touching mountain tops. Seen through a romantic and slightly nostalgic haze, this forest features bewitched trees, portals into the unknown and an uncanny forest glade where the owls are not what they seem. The artwork offers an updated celebration of a traditional technique, with the love of craft and longevity at the center. The size of the wall is 600x700cm and a total of thirty 100x100 cm panels form the full artwork. The intarsia work was crafted by Spågan conservation and cabinetmaker Ola Hansson in Stockholm. The veneers are treated with shellac, highlighting the inherent glow and texture of the wood, before adding a final lacquer. Designed and made to last, the natural colour of the wood will only deepen and mature as time goes by.

Studio Frantzén is located at the very top of Harrods in London.

The project was commissioned by Joyn Studio for Studio Frantzén, London.

This triptych of panoramic landscapes, created with a traditional wood inlay technique, is permanently installed in Glöstorpsskolan, a newly built school in Gothenburg. The artworks are placed in the main corridor, in window shaped alcoves. While the window leads the gaze to the outside, these artworks are leading the gaze inwards, to imagined landscapes from a world within.

Three female poets, all sprung out of Gothenburg, have inspired the landscapes. Min Syster, Jag Binder En Krans is inspired by Athena Farrokzhad’s poem with the same name. The poem Elementar Andar by Karin Boye and Ljusets Hotell by Sun Axelsson have inspired the other two landscapes. The poems share an exploration of the self in relation to the world, a search for context and a longing to exist on own terms, but they also speak of friendship and about growing together. The three poets that have inspired the landscapes have lived and worked in different places, on different continents. In their writing fragments of landscapes from different environments merge, the mountains of Iran meets the suburban fields of Gothenburg, deserts of Chile meets the ocean on the West coast of Sweden. The landscape that starts in Karin Boye’s poem explores the air, the formations of the clouds and the shifting sky, appearing differently depending on from where in the world we observe them. The three parts are also connected to the three elements: air, earth and water.

The artworks can be read as a map of hidden lands, a compass through the unknown, or just a place to let the eyes rest and let the thoughts wander. The landscapes lack a sense of scale, at the same time mediating an infinite distance and immediate closeness. These landscapes are built on memories and longing rather than rocks and soil. The self exists in relation to the world and comes to being in relation to the mountains, the sun, the sky and the sea.

Intarsia work by Ola Hansson.

Installation photograps by Hendrik Zeitler.

Detail photographs by Petter Löfstedt.

Susurration of the Spruce begins in the northern region of Jämtland, at the family house on the shore of Ljungan. The river was once an important transport route used to float timber from the inland forests to the sawmills on the coast; from there the wood was shipped further south to the capital and exported to Europe. Today plantations of pine and spruce have replaced a great deal of the once vast and rich boreal forest. This project draws attention to the life of the forest and the mycorrhizal networks that are formed between trees and mushrooms- fusing the boundaries between soil, roots and fungi. Interested in the mutualistic relationships that connect the forest through underground structures, the work is moving beyond human exceptionalism. The forest floor with its complex interspecies collaborations tells a story different to that of endless extraction of raw materials.

The project was presented at Wip Konsthall in June 2020, bringing together new works on paper, plant dyed fabrics and sculptures from recycled wood, collectively forming a journey into the world of the forest. The colour spectrum in the exhibition is collected directly from the northern landscape, combining local knowledge with studio-based experiments; plants, berries, bark and mushrooms are used to create the inks applied in the drawings. With a holistic approach to materials and how the artworks are made, Löfström is considering the source and afterlife of each element that make up the installation. The work is informed by field studies, scientific research, traditional knowledge and mythology, as the artist is engaging in a process preoccupied with learning to see and listen to the forest and its inhabitants in new ways.

Installation photos by Petter Löfstedt and Johan Eldrot

A site specific permanent installation for Mariahallen-  a newly built sport center connected to a school in Helsingborg, Sweden. The work is looking at the importance of play for development with an emphasis on collaboration. The work is influenced by examples from non-human worlds; the dances, games and choreographies of other species that use social patterns such as sharing and collaboration to strengthen the collective development.

 The installation takes the geometric pattern that forms the floor of a classic sport center as the starting point; the rules and choreographies that are imprinted in the layout have been rearranged and multiplied forming a new wall-based composition. The composition is populated by species local to the nature reserve Pålsjö forest, within walking distance to the sport center. The forest is home to a number of red listed species, such as the serotine bat and the common swift. The animals populating the artwork are selected based on their social behavior and the importance they play in the local ecosystem of Pålsjö forest. A map of stories forms part of the installation, where the viewer can read about each of the species represented in the installation.

 The work is commissioned by the City of Helsingborg through the Property Management Department.

 The wooden panels are constructed by cabinet maker Ola Hansson.

 Installation photography by Helene Toresdotter.

During the year’s brightest day, according to tradition, the magic shines with its strongest power, and according to folklore, mystical forces were in motion as the boundary between the human world and the supernatural was believed to be thinner than usual. Healing plants and herbs were gathered during this magical night and stored for later use.; bundles were gathered and dried to preserve the magic of Midsummer throughout the year. Midsummer night was also believed to be a time for love, and the old tradition of gathering seven types of flowers to dream of one’s future partner has survived to this day in Sweden.

This herbarium depicts seven plants that were believed to possess magical and healing properties. Some of them were particularly used to influence the powers of love and passion. A Västerbottnian herb book, about wild plants used as food, emergency food, spices, and medicine from 1976, containing stories from older times in northern Sweden serves as inspiration. Northern wolfsbane, mountain lovage, common mugwort, tansy, yarrow, angelica and common valerian are depicted in the herbarium. The shifting colors of the northern summer night serve as the inspiration for the watercolor paintings that form the background.

The landscape panorama is depicting a river on Midsummer night and a dreamlike journey downstream. North was the direction most associated with magic and witchcraft, and therefore, north-flowing water was best suited for rituals; according to folklore, it was possible to catch a glimpse of one’s future partner, whose reflection could appear on the water's surface on this bright night. The movement of the water can also be read as a symbol of life and the passage of time, inviting the viewer on a serene contemplation of the beauty in the simple and everyday, such as the rising sun. The palette is based on warm, nature-inspired colors that evoke a sense of calm. The work is created in wood, a warm and living material that contributes to a feeling of safety and comfort.

The work is installed at Solhaga carehome in Sundsvall, commissioned by Sundsvall Muncipality.

An exploration into the systems of myth and meaning that shape natural history, reinventing a nature where we find ourselves confronted with a multitude of life forms and a blurring of the boundaries of classification.

SPACE/The White Building, Wed 20 Jan – Sun 24 Jan 2016

On the Edge of Time is a project by Emma Löfström that began in the archives of the Natural History Museum. Whilst considering the relationship between natural and human history, the project comments on humankind’s quest to map, name and ultimately control the natural world. We are living in a time of extinctions and transformations, and simultaneously experiencing a culture saturated with dystopic images of fear and disaster. The challenge is to create inhabitable narratives, looking at alternate ways in which nature and culture could take on new and unexpected forms in the future. Beginning with the idea that nature is constructed not discovered, the project considers the complex relations that have informed our natural history, reflecting on how this knowledge could be reinterpreted if only viewed from another perspective. Interested in the tension between science and fiction, the project is envisioning a post-anthropocentric era playing with ideas of trans-species solidarity, multi-sexual beings, and unconventional ways of becoming.

Meticulous graphite studies combined with intuitive ink collages form an ongoing investigation of the historic connection between science, observation and drawing. The project is presented as an open-ended process, where works on paper are accumulated and displayed across an architectural installation, reflecting on nature’s permanent state of flux and the constantly changing truths of natural science.

Address: The White Building Unit 7, Queen’s Yard White Post Lane London E9 5EN

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More information: spacestudios.org.uk

With support by Iaspis – The Swedish Arts Grants Committeé’s International Programme for Visual Artists

Exhibition installation photos by Benjamin Westoby

Artwork photos by Petter Löfstedt

Lines Transpire

Desertification and land degradation is an increasing environmental challenge, threatening biodiversity and water and food security. One third of Spain is at risk of being turned into desert by the end of the century as global warming and tourism add to the effects of unsustainable farming. Lines Transpire is a site-specific drawing made in a dryland area in the region of Murcia where nearly 100% of the land is considered to be at high risk of desertification.

This project examines the sensitivity of the living soil and reflects upon the fragility of the landscape, subject to high soil erosion and water overexploitation. Lines Transpire is a large-scale drawing made with seeds and pollen from drought tolerant plants such as Acacia. The project is exploring the process of rehabilitation, looking into possible ways to restore ecosystems that have been lost due to land degradation.  This fumbling act of healing can be read as a metaphor to the insufficient measures taken on a political and global scale to protect and preserve the soil, vital to all life.

The project is currently on view as part of the exhibition Eco-connectivity at Thaer-Institute, Berlin. The short film documenting the making of the site specific installation is screened as part of the Berlin Science Week art film program; Thaer-Insitute, Hörsaal 4, on November 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 6pm.

The project was developed during the residency program of AADK Spain, with the support of Iaspis- The Swedish Arts Grants Committeé’s International Programme for Visual Artists.

From the Mountain Deep series- a project exploring lines and landscape, geology and time in the semi-arid landscape of southern Spain. Developed as part of AADK Spain artist residency the project begun at the foot of Sierra Solan in the Ricote valley.

Reading the landscape through its materiality and colours, Emma Lofstrom collects rocks, pieces of clay and pollen, assembling a colour palette employed to discover the land. Combining field research with studio-based experiments, the project examines the sensitivity of the living material and initiates a series of exercises in learning to see and listen to the matter.

Reflecting upon the fragility of the landscape, subject to high soil erosion and water overexploitation, Lofstrom selects delicate fragments that she re-frames and transforms. Considering the instantaneous history of humankind in relation to the geological cycles of destruction and renewal, she reflects upon the ephemeral qualities of the landscape and humankind’s failing attempts to control nature. The work was presented at Centro Negra as a spatial installation in which a dialogue opens between manmade structures and organic elements, subtle and volatile.

The residency was supported by Iaspis – The Swedish Arts Grants Committeé’s International Programme for Visual Artists.

On the Edge of Time is a project by Emma Löfström that began in the archives of the Natural History Museum. Whilst considering the relationship between natural and human history, the project comments on humankind’s quest to map, name and ultimately control the natural world. Beginning with the idea that nature is constructed not discovered, the project considers the complex relations that have informed our natural history, reflecting on how this knowledge could be reinterpreted if only viewed from another perspective. Interested in the tension between science and fiction, the project is envisioning a post-anthropocentric era playing with ideas of trans-species solidarity, multi-sexual beings, and unconventional ways of becoming. This publication was developed whilst in residence at SPACE Arts+Technology/The White Building, supported by Iaspis, The Swedish Arts Grants Committeé’s International Programme for Visual Artists.

More information: spacestudios.org.uk

Graphic design by Johanna Lundberg.

Photos by Petter Löfstedt.

In a series of still lifes resembling the memento mori of the 17th Century, drawings and textures are layered and combined with found objects and organic matter. The memento mori, meaning "remember you must die" in Latin, was designed to remind the viewer of the fragility of human life. These assemblages take their starting point in fictive travel tales and Science Fiction from the likes of Jules Verne and John Wyndham, imagining post-human scenarios and the collapsing binary of the natural versus the human-made. 

Photoraphy: Petter Löfstedt

Mountain Deep is a project exploring lines and landscape, geology and time in the semi-arid mountains of southern Spain. Developed as part of AADK Spain Centro Negra artist residency the project begun at the foot of Sierra Solan in the Ricote valley. The project considers the tension between human and geological time, the present experience of time as constantly accelerating versus the pace of the mountain often misread as timeless. Sierra Solan wears traces of human civilizations replacing one another throughout history, from the ruins of a Moorish castle, to the more recent statue of Virgin Mary. Humankind’s attempts to colonize territory and leave a permanent mark can be read in contradiction to the transience of human existence, as the limestone remains is a reminder of a time when the mountain above was the ocean floor. At the same time human impact is causing irreversible changes to the geological landscape, high intensity farming and global warming are contributing to desertification in the region, slowly causing the mountains to erode.

In a site-specific installation Löfström explores the over-layering of times and realities, observations of the mountain are juxtaposed with recreations of interventions with the landscape; small scale attempts to constrain the mountain and prevent the erosion. Graphite studies of the landscape in its various stages of desertification, and detailed studies of rocks in its various stages of erosion, highlight how the immense presence of the mountain stands in paradox to how fragile the landscape is to environmental degradation. In a series of exercises and experiments, Löfström is expanding the drawing field by applying her collage techniques directly onto the landscape.  In the installation Löfström is merging, covering and constraining the rocks with collaged paper, challenging the strengths and vulnerability of the environment. This project is both a tribute to the mountain and an attempt to visualize the process of desertification.

The project is supported by Iaspis – The Swedish Arts Grants Committeé’s International Programme for Visual Artists.

Short film shown at the exhibition Strange Cities: Athens at Onassis Cultural Centre, Athens (GR) 20 April - 28 June 2015, curated by Double Decker UK.

In this short animation we are viewing the world from the Cicadian perspective, seeing without being seen, we are exploring a foreign place through a vision distorted with desire. The cicadas were important creatures in Greek mythology and philosophy. According to this myth that appears in a dialogue between Plato and Socrates, the cicadas were once human, but intoxicated by music they loose their lives in trance. The muses reward their passion, and allow the dancers to undergo a metamorphosis, and they return to a life dedicated to music in the shape of cicadas. Intrigued by the song of the cicada, at the same time persistent and ecstatic, this animation is investigating the exotic using hand rendered drawings and stop-motion animation to create a wordless hypnotic voyage.

This installation was created for FLORA ars+natura (Bogotá) September 2014, a collaboration between Emma Löfström and Irene Fuga. 

Cabinet of Unnatural History is an interface between past and future, a reflection upon the transience of human existence and the attempt to leave a permanent trace. In a world where human relationships, history and culture are defined by social network and mediated by technology, how will technological media affect people’s recollection of the past and the perception of the future? 

The Cabinet displays a collection of findings and specimens of a fictional museum set in the future. A vitrine that re-evaluates meanings of classification, collection, accumulation, personal and collective memories. IPad, found photographs and made up fictional post-historic hybrid figures co-exist simultaneously. Fuga+Löfström reconsider the relationship between natural and human history working across drawing, sculpture and installation, simulating specimens of the flora and fauna of a future ecosystem. Fuga+Löfström have created a series of artefacts and fabricated sets, collaboratively forming a collection that alludes to a potential natural world mediated by technology.

Read about the project in Colombian magazine Semana.
www.arteflora.org

Exhibition in collaboration with Irene Fuga, shown at Yinka Shonibare MBE’s Guest Projects July 2013.
Through drawing, sound and sculptures, the work explores feelings, relationships and sensorial experience in a time when physical encounters are punctuated by online communication. In a series of layered pencil drawings and detailed collages Emma Löfström is investigating how the 21st century human mind may be adapting as technology advances; with a particular interest in the antagonism between private and public, freedom and surveillance, and the endless opportunities of creating alternative identities. Inspired by early Science Fiction writers such as Aldous Huxley, the work is playing with the idea of technology as a second nature, a complex and self-generating system, in which we partake, but long ago lost control of.