Team credits:
Photography by Fredrik Wannerstedt
Styling by Gorjan Lauseger
Hair & grooming by Tony Lundstöm
Model: David Hermelin

Fashion credits:
1# Coat by Our Legacy, Over shirt by Uniqlo, Shirt by Adidas, Shorts by Hugo Boss, Socks by Falke, Shoes by Acne Studios
2 & 6# Shirt by Whyred, Necklace by Sofia Winberg
3# Blazer by Our Legacy, Shirt by Blankdays, Pants by Adnym
4 & 12# Shirt by Acne Studio, Short sleeve shirt by Hugo Boss
5# Coat by Our Legacy, Shirt by Hugo Boss, Pants by Acne Studios, Shoes by Our Legacy, Necklace by Byredo
7# Blazer by Acne Studios, Pants by Acne Studios, Shirt by Hugo Boss, Long sleve T-shirt by Peak Performance x Ben Gorham
8# Jacket by Self – Cinema, Pants by Adnym
9# Short sleeve shirt by Acne Studios, Long sleeve jumper by Peak Performance x Ben Gorham, Pants by Our Legacy
10# T-shirt by Self – Cinema, Knitted Vest by Our Legacy, Pants by Our Legacy, Shoes by Adidas
11# Blazer by Our Legacy, Shirt by Hope, T-shirt by Uniqlo

By the final two weeks of fashion month, the whole world had changed. Covid-19 had already rapidly spread across the globe and the fashion weeks became clusters where the virus could easily target people well known for their cheek kissing, sweaty parties and overcrowded shows. As the virus had its heyday in Milan most of us carried on with our businesses. Soon people started making statements of concern and one day after another fashion calendar events closed, but at the time the fear was as naïve as the logo masks that appeared on the front row.

Jump forward two months and we are still trying to deal with the new order and imagining the impact the virus will have on all our futures, our communities and creative industries, and the day-to-day life of fashion. We turned to the up-and-coming designers that are part of The Forumist’s Talent Challenge ‘Realise’ to hear about their entries in the competition, how they have been coping and if they believe there will be any independent fashion after the coronavirus.

Undoubtedly, smaller brands and independent designers are economically suffering a lot in the wake of the coronavirus. They are the creatives who already have chosen a rocky path, often juggling uncertain jobs between working on their own collections and now facing unemployment, stores closing, and retailers canceling their orders at the last minute. It really does seem like a challenge to stay envisioned and keeping the brand alive. Since its launch in 2014, The Forumist has highlighted emerging creativity and acted as a platform for novel expressions. With the fashion talent initiative Realise, eleven selected brands will get a chance to produce a capsule collection with Pre O’Porter and all of them will get the exclusive opportunity to produce a conceptual The Forumist sweater, with their brand hallmark, which will be available on theforumist.com.

The 11 designers are all at different points in establishing their brands. Some have had several years in the industry but most of them could be defined as being at the beginning of their breakthrough journeys – a beginning that the crisis can either put to an end or make help them flourish. For the Danish designer Oliver Opperman, who works in London, the latter rings the truest: “the lack of conversations and impressions have definitely given me some much-needed headspace.” He continues, ”I think designers never really know what it is that makes your stuff your stuff, at least that’s a conversation I often have with my friends. But at this point in isolated lockdown, it all becomes quite concrete. I feel I have the headspace to go back to my original inspiration and create a language. So with this challenge, it was nice to make it very concrete, like this drape on a classic sweater that’s kind of my signature. I like things to be recognizable, I want a sweater to look like a sweater, but then I take away about 20% from reality and add my twist.”

Oliver moved his design studio to Copenhagen just in time for lockdown, but not everyone was that fortunate. Johannes Leijonborg and Adele Gillardeau of the eponymous brand Johannes Adele didn’t catch the last flight back home to southern France and have since lodged in a cabin in the woods on the outskirts of Borås in Sweden. ”It’s a pity, really, that we didn’t make it. We miss our cat, and our castle atelier is always equipped for quarantine mode,” they say. For Realise they designed two sweaters, a zip bomber sweater, and a cropped top with their signature loose sleeves. ”We have several high-waisted trouser styles to go with them, and we can hardly wait to see those looks together.” 

The chaotic circumstances also forced designer Hanna Kisch to make a quick decision. ”When the alarms about the coronavirus became too loud, I felt we had to leave Stockholm immediately, it was almost like in a sci-fi movie. I strongly felt I had to say goodbye to the animals at a friend’s farm, so we went there and have stayed there since then. All my production had closed in a matter of days anyway and I had to leave my day job. So I brought my atelier to the farm where I’m still working on some projects, but also now and then helping out, repairing horse blankets and such like for the farm. It’s actually quite fulfilling.” As for her projects, Kisch has recently collaborated with the thrift store Myrorna to create the capsule collection Myrorna Upgrade by Hanna Kisch,  which includes blazers with power silhouettes, leather pants, blouses, chaps and corsets. ”You can easily wear it when out and about with your future ration coupons.” Count me in, replicant Kisch. 

Another talent whose creations come to life in the melting pot of garment quintessence is Linn Sohl, whose chosen method is collaging different garments. She explains how something new can be achieved when doing this: ”It’s about the meeting of disparate materials, scales, styles, colours and patterns. There is no wrong way to do a collage.” 

Unfortunately for all our emerging designers is the fact that such talent can only go so far to pay the rent. Talent incubators are a rare find in Sweden, due to cultural politics and private investors who would rather fund art than be part of building a fashion legacy. Jennifer Jönsson Lundedal is fed up with the scant attention she and other designers receive. ”I truly hope that the industry and everyone it involves will open their eyes and wallets and start paying creative people for their creative work. Hopefully, up-and-coming designers will find new ways and platforms to get their businesses space and growth. I hope people dare to stay creative.” Jennifer is indeed a creative kind. For the challenge, her starting point was a very basic staple piece out of which she ”created a puzzle patchwork that can puzzle a T-shirt when worn on the body. And when on a hanger it’s just beautiful materials mixed together in patches,” she explains. “To me this is the timeless garment, the silhouette is every day – the artwork makes it unique!” 

The focus on decoration is also very visible in the collections by Tove Berner-Wik, who stitches by hand most of the garments herself. Making a commercial design fit for factory production was a challenge. ”I specialize in decorations, but not just those that add something pretty to a garment,” she says. “Usually I make everything by hand, so yes, how to make these in a factory was really a challenge I had to solve.”

Whenever I see Daniela Persichetti’s designs I imagine a young girl gang of inbetweeners, impressionable but never meek, wearing their heart on their sleeve. ”My idea for the sweater sprang from the study of a behavioural trend among the young that is gaining ground, namely the use of cannabis. There are a lot of tees out there paying tribute to legalisation and smoking as something cool, and I felt strongly that someone should stand up for those other girls that don’t fit in, the Shy Violet and the Wild Rose. So I began sketching flowers and it became the concept Fuck Weed.” Social commentary has been an important part of the fashion toolbox since the sixties as well as the concerned critique of its own system. A slowed-down pace of production is one of the benefits the crisis could have on our future. ”Maybe the outcome of all this will be a stronger need for artistic expression,” reflects designer Göran Sundberg. He explains further: ”I suspect we will have less patience, time and space for the routinely designed products the fashion market was so overblown with. But on the whole, I just think we will forget quickly and get on with our lives.” His brand UN explores garments of timelessness that hold site-specific functionality, like an apron in the kitchen or a raincoat in the summer house. ”Pieces anyone can wear and share, pieces that resist time and accumulation. I have sort of a tagline: one garment, one layer, one size, all genders. It is my way of having fun at work, haha.” 

Antonia Pihl, behind the brand PIHL, has often experienced being the only woman in her dedication to male-dominated sports like skiing, skateboarding, and surfing, a practice that is part of the core brand’s DNA. ”I wish to manifest the adrenaline and the raw power of skiing, but also the marvelous and sublime, and infuse this in my fashion.”

Linus Leonardsson creates fashion for ”gender-nonconforming aesthetic revolutionaries who like to be seen”. Creating a fashion universe centered on glamour must surely be difficult in these times, especially since Linus has his studio in London. Stockholm-based designer Ada Swärd has created a stay-at-home-routine she keeps strict. ”I wake up early, make breakfast, and sit in the morning sun to meditate and reflect on my day ahead. I dress up as if I was going to work and take the time to do my make-up. Dressing up for staying in might sound odd, but the process has been beneficial for my geist, a belief that this state will pass.” Ada further believes more escapist expressions will be in demand as an effect of the stay-in. Linus seems to have a similar scenario in mind when describing the background for the challenge entry: ”A topic close to my heart is nightlife and how people become elevated versions of themselves when dressing up to go out. For this piece, I wanted to focus on the relationship between activewear and rave-culture. Hence the scenery is an industrial rave-party with a pastel-colored sunrise emerging outside, and dancing club kids, who are celebrating life.” 

In hindsight many fatalists will argue that we had little or no self-control and already had reached peak consumption a long time before lockdown. To sustain a society strong enough to handle a crisis of this measure we need to continue to support creative initiatives and those who are the most vulnerable. We can purchase their unsold stock, place orders, interact with them on social media, and make plans for all tomorrow’s woke rave-parties. 

The Realise collection will be available through theforumist.com and has been produced in partnership with pre-o-porter.com 

Team Credits:
Words by Sofia-Li
Photography by John Scarisbrick
Styling by Karolina Brock
Hair: Catherine Lehtonen
Post-production: Omnilux Studio
Models, in order: Fanny C at Mikas, Florand at Niche Management, Sap at Mikas, Amelia at Niche Management, Hanna Kisch, Adam Swärd, Thea B at Mikas, Florian Alexander at Le Management.

Fashion Credits:
#1 Full look by Oliver Oppermann
#2 Top and jeans by Johannes Adele and shoes by Acne Studios
#3 Top and trousers by Linn Sohl and shoes by Acne Studios
#4 Top and trousers by Linus Leonardsson and shoes by Hope
#5 Jumpsuit by Tove Berner-Wik and shoes by Whyred
#6 Full look by Hanna Kisch
#7 Top by Ada Swärd
#8 Dress and pants by Antonia Pihl and shoes by Eytys
#9 Vest and trousers by Daniela Persichetti and shoes by Acne Studios
#10 Full look by Göran Sundberg
#11 Full look by Jennifer Jönsson Lundedal

Esther is the mystical pop creature playing what looks like, from a rock’n’roll point of view, an oversized xylophone, making music resembling a starry night sky from beyond a giant’s eye. A while back, all the kool cids of Sweden’s capital all of a sudden wondered, “Who is Esther, and where did she come from?”, since she seemingly emerged from nowhere and gave us underground but nevertheless mainstream-friendly hits such as ‘Follow Me Home’ and the possible future Christmas classic ‘As the Right Bell Sounds’, the latter recorded with avant-garde pop sensation GRANT.

HOLY, on the other hand, is nowadays seen as somewhat of an indie veteran when putting his three full-length albums into the equation. Hannes Ferm, the individual unsubtly hiding behind this stage name, lets his alien-ish features and mannerisms take their toll completely on his latest effort, the LP Ryder, and his role as misfit king of the unruly, pained masses of Stockholm and beyond is undeniable.

Who better to talk to in this interview, than two definitive definers of this time in Stockholm’s ever-changing musical landscape – when the topic is the realisation of hope within hopelessness?

Esther

“I find it hard to describe in what way isolation affects my music. I have noticed how some creative thresholds have become easier to step over, while others have become more difficult to pass.” These words are the response to our question about how isolation – something all of us have been forced to confront recently – resonates with the music that vibraphonist, singer and songwriter Esther Lennstrand makes, in her own opinion. Indeed they have altered themselves, all the thresholds of this communal life we lead, and for the listener, the solemn notes Esther gently invokes from not only her beautiful vibraphone but also various exotic synthesizers speaks the same language as the tongue we all fluently master in this time; the lonely, the eager, the distanced dialect of a jargon we would never had thought we would ever use. Esther’s music celebrated isolation, knowingly or otherwise, way before there was even talk of staying the fuck at home.

When asked about what she will take with her from these strange months, Esther replies, “I’ve decided, during this time, to learn how to use new synthesizers. Hopefully I’ll be able to take advantage of this new knowledge in future creations”. Re-thinking her answer to the question, Esther gives The Forumist a more diffuse response: “To be less concrete, I think I would say that what I will bring with me the realisation of my appreciation for meeting different people – maybe I will be a bit more open after all this has ended.”

Talking of a recent live stream she participated in, Esther comments on the massively popular alternative to a face-to-face music experience that has surfaced in our days of cultural poverty: “It became something that brought people together when things felt at their darkest. It felt very special, but it was strange to play for people who were not present in the room. It was difficult to remember that there was actually an audience watching.”

HOLY
“I believe almost all creators of music and art see isolation as a necessity,” Hannes Ferm says, on the subject of how the socially solicited solitude has affected HOLY and its creations, and thus swiftly disarms any doubt as to whether art and artists will survive this global crisis or not, with the delicate phrases presented in his answer. Many have feared and more have suffered, but we have learned the truth in that we artists are cockroaches, and we can survive nuclear blasts of any possible magnitude. “The lyrics on Ryder revolved very much around post-apocalyptic themes,” Hannes says, which is certainly understandable when admiring the dystopian cover of the album. During the last few months of cultural lockdown, Hannes has recorded and produced several other bands, and sees it as a beneficial learning process. Many things can come from a complete change of scenery, and in this extreme case, hopefully the positive alterations of our reality will outlive the negative.

In many ways, Esther and Hannes together form the perfect role model in this time, this hour of need. To realise what we are facing, the harsh but realistic integrity of Hannes is acquired, but also the eager vision of Esther. While seeing the positivity in it, Hannes has another angle on the popular (by demand) phenomenon of live streaming than Esther does. “The more of them I see now, the more palpable it is that this is not working as a substitute for live music for me,” Hannes – who partook in a Forumist live stream this December and will, just like Esther, be seen in The Forumist’s stream from Hotel At Six on 22 May – says, continuing his thoughts: “I see it as something different, and I think live streaming has more potential as something new, rather than thinking it will fill some kind of void.” What we can take away from this interview, after this has passed, is the unfillable void that such a world-turning episode as this one brings with it. What needs to be realised is simple: the world we leave behind now is not worth looking back to; the world we look forward to now is actually worth hoping for.

On 22 May, both Esther and HOLY will take part in the live stream celebration of The Forumist’s twentieth issue at Hotel At Six – where the two acts will be both performing and interviewed live.
@estherlennstrand; pnkslm.com/holy

Team Credits
Words by Filip Lindström
Photography by Joakim Rolandsson
Styling by Ester Boije
Hair and Makeup by Catherine Lehtonen
Talent: Esther & Holy
Dop & Editor: Anton Olin
Producer: Adrian Wallér Zandén

Fashion Credits:
1# Blouse and Trousers by Whyred, and Ring vintage from #InspoSTHLM
2# Trenchcoat and Trousers by Whyred, and Shoes vintage from #InspoSTHLM
3# Dress by Whyred
4# Blazer and Trousers by Whyred, and Ring vintage from #InspoSTHLM
5# Shirt by and Trousers by Whyred, and Sunglasses Stylist’s own
6# Set by Whyred and Ring vintage by #InspoSTHLM

Esther: @estherlennstrand, Spotify
HOLY: @xox.holy, Spotify

Atlanta indie hip-hop artists Olu and WowGr8 met on the first day of school. Bonding over a mutual love for music that does not follow the rules, they have remained friends long after the school burnt down. (True story.) Now, and together as EarthGang, they have toured the world supporting headlining acts such as Billie Eilish and Jaden Smith. Having signed to J. Cole’s Interscope imprint Dreamville in 2017, they have released three EPs and now they have just released their first major-label album, Mirrorland.
So, first things first – what do they see when they look in the mirror? “God, generations of ancestors and a good time,” says WowGr8 (aka Doctur Dot). “A perfect work in progress,” claims Olu (aka Johnny Venus). “I think the more we are compassionate about the things we are afraid or ashamed of in ourselves, the more we learn about humanity and life in general. I see a person who is trying to be better every day and that is all that really matters. A while back I had a crisis moment where I had to decide to start living life in an aware state. I used to just be on autopilot and try to follow the crowd. But deciding to be my true self has revealed so much more. In the future I hope to see more of what I see today: more patience, more goal setting, more truth. Greatness is built one day at a time.”

Digital living
The digital world has had a profound impact on both of them. “My whole life I have always been a student of the internet,” says WowGr8. “It has grown and evolved as I have done through the phases of my existence. The digital has had a major influence on my life and my art, from the type of music absorbed and all the way to the different foods I am willing to try and everything in between. Even the way that I understand the consumption of art is strongly influenced by the digital world because it is a world that has a rippling impact through modern human life as a whole.”
For Olu, the digital world has opened up the actual world to him. “With the creation of downloading, sharing, streaming, social media, posting, and so on, I have been able to see places and people and listen to cultures in a way that was just not possible before. We can literally connect with people across the world and give them our story and find common ground. Then we can actually travel to these places and further cement these bonds. It’s beautiful! At the end of this year I will have visited four continents and countless countries. Next year we are going to Asia! That is all possible because of the speed of the digital world. The real beauty is people get to tell the truths about their home. I have seen Africa in ways that I never thought possible simply from knowing someone or following someone’s page.”

Travels in time
If they had a time machine, WowGr8 says that he would like to go back to the time just before Europeans decided to attempt colonising the planet, stop that whole process and come back and see if the world is better or worse today. Similarly, Olu would go to any time where people of colour and women were not oppressed. “We tend to think our world has always existed like this because this is all we see. But I know there was a time when those of us who have been overlooked and hated for our cultural knowledge, gifts and customs were once respected and lauded for the same thing. I believe that time was beautiful and prosperous for humanity as a whole. I would love to go there.”
On a slightly different note, speaking of which musical trends they are into at the moment, Olu continues, “African music is coming to the forefront now. When I say African music I am talking about a vast array of music from Ethiopian jazz, to Afrobeat, to South African rhythms, to choral singing. So much of this music has travelled across the world to Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, London, Toronto, Mexico, etc via slave trade and migration. It is beautiful that despite everything we are still connecting people of all backgrounds and inspiring everyone to move and dance and celebrate.”

Going viral
“Going viral in today’s market is often seen as the best free promotion for a product,” says WowGr8. “We live in an age where we have seen viral videos translate to short and long term success. It is really all about what you do with it.” So does something happen with the performance when it takes on a life of its own online? Hell to the yes! At least according to Olu, who regards it as a seed being planted. “The viral aspect is just the root taking form and the branches spreading out to feed people. Take our performance on Colors [the global new music platform] on YouTube, for example; our goal was perform an unreleased song in its purest sense and to express our truth. Our supporters and fans sharing the video took it to the next dimension. The beauty of it was that our essence was spread across the world and people got a chance to see us in one of our most divine states.”
However, the benefits and the dangers of any new technology are two sides of the same coin. “You have the potential to reach billions of people with everything you create,” says WowGr8. “It is all about your message. The energy you put out directs your path.” Olu also sees some of its dangers: “Falsehood, hoaxes, scams, cap, any form of deception that used the internet as veil. A person can be an influencer or any other title that comes with a significant degree of internet power that does not necessarily translate to financial power, talent or even work ethic.”
So, is there anything we can do in order to not become slaves to our smartphones? WowGr8 might just have the perfect solution. “Put your phone down. Or just throw it away.”

Team Credits:
Words by Jonathan Södergren
Photography by Chris Rinke
Styling by Fernando Torres
Make Up and Hair by Carla Curione
Photography Assistant: Luca Trelancia
Talent: Olu and WowGr8 of Earthgang @earthgang; dreamville.com

Fashion Credits:
#1, 2 & 5 WowGr8 wears Top by J Lindeberg, Glasses by Ambush, All jewellery artist’s own
#2 WowGr8 wears Boiler suit Stylist’s own, Glasses by Ambush, All jewellery artist’s own, Olu wears Top by Humana, All Jewellery artist’s own, Bag by L’homme Rouge, Glasses by Gucci, Trousers by Fila
#3 Tracksuit by Adidas, Glasses by Ambush, All jewelery artist’s own, Shoes by Off white
#4 Coat by 032c, Trousers by Whyred, Glasses by Gentlemonster x Fendi, Necklace by L’homme Rouge, Shoes by Comme des GarÇons x Nike
#6 Top by Humana, Trousers Artist’s own, Glasses by Gentlemonster x Fendi, All jewellery artist’s own

The music of Skott and Mr. Tophat has each been crafted against two very different backgrounds. Yet they have similar stories to tell when it comes to how the making of their music relates to technology, as both have reached a particular point of interplay between the new and the old.
Right from the start, Mr. Tophat has shown a fondness for using technology in art and believes these areas to be intrinsically linked. Similarly, Skott has also embraced the realm of digital electronic pop music. However, her analogue past has deep roots in traditional folk music.
They both share an appreciation of older ways, while still pushing the envelope of their respective styles. To be forward facing, there’s a power to be released by looking into the past for knowledge and inspiration.

Mr. Tophat is a source of genre-bending inspiration, as a club music DJ and as a pioneer in music production. On the one hand, his recent collaboration with Swedish pop icon Robyn showcases a deep love for 90s house music and a taste for glistening percussiveness. On  the other, he paints ethereal soundscapes, simultaneously organic and electronic, bordering on ambient and cinematic music, such as in his album trilogy Dusk to Dawn. And of course, there are his rave- and disco-oriented productions made together with fellow Swedish house profiles like Art Alfie and Axel Boman.
“Change does not always equal development,” Rudolf Nordström, Mr. Tophat’s real name, says, showing an appreciation, respect even, of older technological tools. He wants to remind us to look back into the past as much as look toward the future. “Overall, I think that it’s important to keep both old and new technology in mind. It’s easy to forget that older technology is more bug-free and simpler than modern one.”

And perhaps this is what he prefers, the analogue mixer tables on which he began his journey into DJ mixes and music production, rather than the in-the-box turntables and mixers that have lowered the threshold so significantly for curious new DJs. He says that “I myself believe that new technology is both interesting and can be of great benefit, but it is important to not forget the technology or the steps that may have taken you there.” An even better understanding of his view on his artistic craft comes when he underlines that staying on top of new technology is not a prerequisite for a better music creation process on his part. He also mentions that this is true for artistic expression as well. “For me, technology is in part about pushing artistry.”

There’s a path between art and computerisation that perhaps should be trodden carefully, as there are certain implications involved. “I like the computer’s ability to count and analyse, it saves a lot of time. At the same time, it risks killing the poetry.”
The future holds many possibilities for musical expression, and what styles of music we will be listening then is anyone’s guess. One thing is for sure though, technology will help shape that expression, in one way or the other, and house music and other electronic genres are receptive to this development, just as they have been historically. Nordström brings up artificial voice generation and AI as digital forces that will dominate the music area of tomorrow. “Primarily AI that can compose and make selections and performances as composers and songwriters do.”
Finally, he adds an optimistic note: “New technology can give rise to new ways of thinking.” In the light of how his own relation to music creation has been over his artistic career, this can perhaps be said to sum up the music of Mr. Tophat: it is constantly developing, constantly curious.

Skott
Diving into the music and background of Pauline Skött, aka Skott, reveals a constant play between the analogue and the electronic, between the traditional and the modern. Her story and artistic expression is a technological tale of two worlds. With songs that recall the ethereal vocal qualities of Lana Del Rey, the earthy qualities of AURORA and the electronic melodies of fellow Swedish pop artists. Pauline Skött’s music intertwines strands of melancholy and hope in her a unique combination of playfulness and grandeur.

She hails from the Swedish county of Dalarna, home to a folk music culture that’s thriving there more than anywhere else in the country. The traditional violin melodies that are integral to this culture symbolise where Skott is from musically. “There’s something really straightforward about folk music. The feelings are so accessible, they kinda go straight into your heart, at least with me,” she tells me. She talks about how Swedish folk music melodies have a deep-seated bittersweet, melancholic feel in which “Deep happiness and sadness strangely become the same sort of feeling”.
The path of traditional music that she has followed has developed, perhaps surprisingly, into an enthusiasm for video-game music. “When it comes to folk music and video-game music, the step isn’t as big as you might think.” Her knowledge of what musical scales can do is put to great use here. She says that this helps accommodate the different cultural or environmental contexts that might be needed in the in-game world.
Skott debuted on the renowned indie label Chess Club, then became part of the pop-artist stable of one of the largest record companies in the world when the label joined up with RCA. However, in September 2019, she went fully independent, releasing her single ‘Bloodhound’ on her newly founded label Dollar Menu.

She says it was all about creative control. “If I don’t write music that I truly lose myself in, I don’t dare to be on stage. So either I release music that I connect with deeply and love, or I’m done as an artist. That’s kind of how I feel.” Even though distributing music yourself is easier now in the current digital landscape, she also says that it’s not necessarily to her advantage as an indie artist. “There’s still so much that can be done today with the deep pockets of a major label, especially in terms of marketing and PR.”
Often photographed in soft, sweeping fabrics, where earthy colours lend her image a tinge of warmth, Skott looks as if she could melt right into her consistently art nouveau-style cover artwork. “I get inspired by colours, shapes and textures, and love how they can set a tone.” Nonetheless, she reveals that fashion isn’t a particularly big interest of hers, despite wearing Michalsky for one of his shows. We might even see a change in that interest as she also admits to “actually having a lot of fun being my own stylist, and this is just the start of a long and wondrous journey.”
Throughout her musical development, new technology has been an aid in paving her own way in music. “You don’t have to teach yourself every instrument in the world to create an epic production yourself,” she says, something which is true both for her video-game music production and the pop music she creates as Skott.
Whether it is her background or just a general preference, she says that acoustic music breathes in a certain way. “I feel recording real instruments give more life to the sound, which nowadays is almost completely lost within pop music.” In a way, retaining this quality of sound is why Skott brings together both the new and the old, a practice that is at the core of who she is as an artist.

Team Credits:
Words by Jonas Hallén
Photography by John Scarisbrick
Styling by Roland Hjort
Hair and Make-up by Catherine Lehtonen at Leon Creatives
Special thanks and all clothing by WhyRed

Fashion Credits:
#1 DRESS BY WHYRED, ACCESSORIES ARTISTS OWN.
#2 TROUSERS BY WHYRED, HAT ARTISTS OWN.
#3 & 4 SHIRT AND TROUSERS BY WHYRED, ACCESSORIES ARTISTS OWN
#5 BLAZER, TROUSERS AND VINTAGE SHOES BY WHYRED, GLASSES AND HAT ARTIST’S OWN
#6 ACCESSORIES ARTIST’S OWN; SHIRT AND TROUSERS BY WHYRED
#7 JACKET, VINTAGE T-SHIRT AND TROUSERS BY WHYRED, GLASSES AND HAT ARTIST’S OWN
#8 JACKET BY WHYRED, SHOES ARTIST’S OWN
#9 BLAZER AND ACCESSORIES BY WHYRED
#10 JACKET, TOP AND TROUSERS BY WHYRED, ACCESSORIES ARTIST’S OWN
#11 DRESS BY WHYRED, ACCESSORIES ARTIST’S OWN

Unlike Jaakko Eino Kalevi, whose fifth album was recently released, Linn Koch-Emmery is yet to release her first. However, everyone already seems to want a piece of her and we can only imagine where she will be musically once she has the same number of albums to her name. The vitality of her catchy indie rock is set to mesmerise a large span of audiences while still staying true to the sonic traditions of her genre. As a lover and creator of synth-based music, Kalevi generates fresh, new sounds, mainly through his exploration of technological tools. Still, he maintains a scaled-back soundscape that is accessible and meaningful, in both musical and lyrical composition. It is intriguingly futuristic in its own way. Even though their musical styles differ, these artists are brought together by their ability to create melodies that heavily characterise them as creators. And one thing is clear: diverse and unexpected influences are fuelling both their distinct sounds.

Linn Koch-Emmery

With the buzz building about forthcoming releases, the Swedish artist Linn Koch-Emmery is certainly turning people’s heads. Over the past two years, she has been increasing her repertoire of melodic indie rock, with her artistry landing her supporting gigs and tours for acts such as Johnossi and Pussy Riot. Her raspy and intimate vocals soar over effect- driven and guitar-focused tracks. It’s the perfect combination of accessible pop elements and powerful concert material. This dynamic became even more apparent with her EP Waves, released last year, which followed the well-received Boys of 2017. On Waves, she was even more explosive and energetic, while preserving her melody-heavy sound that has made her stand out as a songwriter. Having been finding her voice as a songwriter since her early teens, Koch-Emmery has always chosen to sing in English rather than her mother tongue –
“Maybe because I naively had my mind set at world domination when I started out. English is not my first language, but songwriting is not rocket science either.” And so, when asked about what rock music needs, she says “good lyrics”. And, apparently, better drummers. She wants to have her mind blown and feel something she didn’t expect to at other artists’ concerts: “Tears are good, at least if they’re in the eyes of the audience.” She’s currently excited about the New York-based indie-rock outfit The Dig, a band whose haziness and most distortion-driven moments resemble her own music. “Their album Midnight Flowers has been my soundtrack to pretty much everything during the past couple of months.” However, she has a much broader palette of inspiration than rock. She also mentions Lil Peep, who died in 2017, and whose merging of emotional rock and hip-hop quickly made him famous as part of the rising genre of emo rap. “He had the ability to make young people feel stuff, me included,” she says. “That itself is more rock’n’roll than anything else.”

Koch-Emmery has been known to incorporate her guitar pedals into her live shows in a chaotic manner, where the performance sometimes shifts away from the microphone to the floor. “Sometimes it just makes more sense to turn knobs and push buttons. I never had the patience to learn to play solos.” Perhaps her previous ambitions of world domination weren’t so naive after all, at least in the world of indie music. Koch-Emmery already has a growing international following, in Scandinavia and Europe, as well as across the pond. Up next is a tour that will encompass parts of Northern Europe and England. After that, we can start to get excited about her debut album, which she’s recording later this year.

@linnkochemmery

Jaakko Eino Kalevi

Last October, Jaakko Eino Kalevi released his fifth album, Out of Touch, with this latest addition to his considerable discography showing that his dreamy electronics, rhythmic repetitions and register- roaming voice have come to act as constants. Nevertheless, he is always tweaking and experimenting with new sounds, pushing the envelope without relying on a particular genre. The results are often intriguing journeys through songwriting and astonishing production. With Out of Touch, Kalevi has steadily navigated stripped-down lo-fi and synth-heavy pop, a direction that largely stems from his background in dub. The way his vocals sometimes seem to take the backseat has some similarities to Bibio, while there’s something about his evocative 1980s groove that is reminiscent of Alex Cameron. However, inspiration is inevitably something that shifts over time. “Lately, I have been listening to music kind of passively, without necessarily knowing the artist,” he says. He also mentions an array of artists who inspired him when making the album, who range from the legendary jazz pianist Steve Kuhn and star-spangled funk god Bootsy Collins to Brazilian psych-rock pioneers Os Mutantes and comedian Tim Heidecker and his humorous songs. This somewhat-surprising collection of influences is, at least genre-wise, a good representation of how he is able to repeatedly surprise fans with his unpredictable sonic nuggets. In his songwriting, his dub background clearly manifests itself in his fondness for creating tracks that have melodic synths dancing around a steady beat. “My songs are usually built around a beat,” he says. “First I do the drums and then the bass and then build on that.” But the reverse process can be just as useful.

“Sometimes ideas come in a different form, though. It could be also a piece of melody. That’s actually great because it is easier for me to come up with rhythmical stuff. Athens was especially an inspiration for many of the songs on this record,” Kalevi says, who alternated between spending time there, in surroundings more unfamiliar to him, and at home while putting the album together. He also mentions other influences on the lyrical themes of his latest release, which are small stories in themselves. “Some thoughts from my youth. A memory of an old song my friend used to play,” he says. “A fortune cookie. Shampoo commercials. Cooking at night. Dream girls and romances that never happened. Unconditional friendship and stupid fears.” Simultaneously ambiguous and specific, they are all elaborated on in this album. Despite being able to make his living through his music – the dream of many aspiring musicians – Kalevi says that even though he appreciates he is in that position, it wasn’t something he was actively aiming towards initially. “I would like to have some other job though. Just as a balancing thing,” he says. “Sometimes I feel I’m thinking too much about myself. Maybe I could be a waiter. Or a bellboy.” Let’s hope he sticks to music. Regarding his future evolution as an artist, he admits he’s playing it by ear. “I’m always after new synths, and that is inspiring and brings new ways of doing things,” he says. “Maybe there is a new direction that hasn’t been present in my music yet. Who knows?!”

jaakkoeinokalevi.com

At the end of the 1950s, the sleek, pioneering design of the MINI quickly elevated the car’s status from convenient runaround to unmistakable style icon, heralded as much for its beautiful lines as its powerful engine and innovative suspension system. Created as a response to the fuel shortage of the postwar world, the MINI was the original manifestation of the company’s spirit and desire to generate ground-breaking solutions to global concerns. Drivers were blown away by this small power package of a car and the unique go-kart-like experience it offered. As a symbol of style and ingenuity, the MINI soon came to influence and be adored by some of the greatest actors, film-makers, musicians and fashion faces of the time, including Paul and Linda McCartney and Peter Sellers. It regularly appeared in fashion shoots, and unquestionably occupied a key part of the cultural limelight from the start – and design and style have never stopped being essential parts of its world.

MINI has certainly come a long way since these exciting early days, all the while staying true its creative and stylish heritage, and constantly striving to stay in the driver’s seat of its own transition. One of the most exciting parts of the company’s evolution is MINI’s first electric car: the Countryman Plug-In Hybrid. Paying homage to the original pioneering MINI design, but with an added “electrified” performance, the Plug-In Hybrid offers the same thrilling go-kart feel that got fans raving in back in the 1950s. As MINI’s latest creative solution, this time to the modern-day problems of congestion and emissions, the Plug-In Hybrid stands out as a beacon of hope. It’s a car that’s as beautiful and environmentally friendly as it’s fun to drive, something that feels both refreshingly new and assuredly familiar at the same time. Although bigger than the original MINI and adapted to the various demands of the modern world, the Plug-In Hybrid still embodies the iconic design that has been in MINI’s DNA for decades.

Another stylish creator that looks to the inspirational heritage of the pop stars, fashion icons and mods of that time is the renowned Swedish fashion brand Whyred. Founded in the late 1990s, the label has always dared to think differently and to question the status quo, building up its own style legacy in the process. Whyred’s autumn collection, entitled Darkroom, is inspired by Paul McCartney’s song of the same name. The collection embraces the same dramatic colours, adventurous silhouettes and eye-catching patterns that were all part of the inspirational environment during the era when MINI came to life. “Darkroom” is a symbol of that contrasting place, between light and dark, where we search for our own creativity – a place that engenders opportunities for transition, change and betterment. Entering his own creative darkroom, with no intention of releasing the song originally, McCartney created a musical gem that epitomised his creative and progressive spirit, from which Whyred has drawn a great deal of inspiration for its new collection. The essence of the looks matches MINI’s own spirit of innovation that has been there since the early days, when Paul and Linda would be spotted driving around in their own MINI.

So, as part of the ongoing transition that MINI is constantly pursuing by widening its horizons and stylistic inspiration, The Forumist has brought together the keen eye for covetable design and style that both brands possess to establish a never-seen-before connection. The combination of MINI’s Countryman Plug-In Hybrid, a model that echoes the original MINI design, and Whyred’s Darkroom collection, inspired by icons of the same era, is both fresh and strikingly natural at the same. And this is only the beginning of the latest journey. Even though we can’t say what creative solutions and design-savvy innovations MINI will come up with in the future, one thing is certain: it will continue to drive towards the boundless opportunities that lie ahead – and do so with as much panache and expertise as it has always done. So here’s our teaser: the sleek and iconic design of MINI’s Countryman Plug-In Hybrid matched with the striking designs from Whyred’s Darkroom collection. It’s a match made in style heaven!

Team credits:

Words by Petter Bladlund 
Photography by John Scarisbrick
Film photography by Gustav Sandegård
Film director & styling by Pejman Biroun Vand
Hair & Make-up by Lillis Hermansson 
Models: Jean-Jacques and Frida W. (Stockholmsgruppen)
Photographer’s Assistant: Petter Bladlund 
Stylist’s Assistant: Melinda Urbansdotter 
Photo postproduction: Omnilux
Film postproduction: Bsmart
Special Thanks to Mini and Whyred
Film soundtrack: Who by Brian Jonestown Massacre

Fashion credits:

#1 Adele Coat, Karolina Cherrie Shirt, Ruth Trousers and Justina Shoes 
#2- #4 Frida wears: Elza Jacket, Yasis Top, Babette Clean Trousers and Justina Shoes. Jean-Jacques wears: Noren Jacket, Mills BD Memento Flower Shirt and Showpiece Trousers and Shoes
#5 Trouve Paisley Jacket, Showpiece Shirt and Babette Lux Trousers
#6 Mills BD Paisley Shirt, Ian Cord Trousers and Showpiece shoes 
#7 Rudy Soft Peak Check Jacket, Mills Flannel Small Check Shirt, John Check Trousers and Showpiece shoes 

All looks by Whyred 

Amanda Winberg/AMWIN
Amanda Winberg, aka AMWIN, is genuine and filled with energy. She contributes to the music scene with something fresh, new and powerful. This past summer, she did some live shows, something that has clearly got her buzzing: “I’ve been kind of on the low for a little while, as I’ve been focusing on developing my music and sound, so it was great to go out and meet the audience again!”

Winberg’s voice is clear and filled with poise: when she sings, you listen. She is daring in her lyrics and unapologetic about who she is – just take a listen to her debut single, Uber, or Living Mistake, released earlier this year. She describes the music as “a mix of all things I love – and sometimes don’t love. As I release more of it, it’s going to become even more clear who AMWIN is.”

Her artistry has grown over the years and is still evolving, taking on new shapes and expression. “I’m still growing as I’m getting to know myself and what I like even better,” she says. “I meet new people and learn new things every day, both in music and in life. It’s my goal to keep learning and growing, but I don’t think I’ll ever change.”

When it comes to fashion, Winberg reveals she is “obsessed” with FKA twigs – both her style and her artistic expression. Winberg also feels that need to express herself, to communicate and create. “To me, fashion is a tool for doing that. My style changes a lot, depending on the mood I’m in when I wake up. I’ve always been like that,” she admits. “I could show up at school as a punk girl one day, and in a preppy look the next. Fashion helps me connect and express all my different sides.”

Clearly, fashion and clothes work like an extension of her personality and mind, and she is a firm fan of Whyred’s edgy clothes. Their combination of being daring, stylish and wearable is something that suits her well. “I actually first fell in love with the brand for real a year ago, when I found this beautiful mint green suit with puff arms and oversized pants,” she says. “It’s the perfect oversized suit – I love to wear things oversize – with the perfect mix of cute and bold, two of my favourite things.”

It’s clear that the visual aspects of life are important to her: she is a visual person who sees by hearing. “I sometimes live more in my head than in the real world. So when I hear a song I immediately start thinking things like, ‘What does this song look like?’ To me, one of the most intriguing parts of working with music is making a song come alive,” she says. Of the process, she is a 100% involved, not just in the visual side of things – it goes for every part of her artistry. “I enjoy creating – it makes me calm and stimulated. I love seeing visions come alive, even though, like most creators, I always find at least a hundred things I want to improve.”

To challenge everything that is comfortable and neat is something that is important to her in order to evolve, even the seemingly small things. “It’s easy to set up rules for who you are and what you’re capable of, which are rarely true,” she says. “It’s important to challenge yourself with little things in your everyday life, or just change a routine you’ve gotten stuck in. I also think you just need to stop sometimes and take in your surroundings as well. I find myself sometimes stuck in my own mind, with my own thoughts, and when that happens I find the people around me to be a huge source of inspiration in a lot of different ways.”

Fortunately, there’s more to come from AMWIN soon – her new single is due to be out in October. Make sure to keep your eyes and ears open.

Mapei
In 2013, Mapei made the world fall in love with her with Don’t Wait, her single that became an instant hit. Now she’s back to make us fall in love with her stunning voice and sound all over again.

She recently moved back to Sweden from Los Angeles, although she’s always seen the world as her home – “like a true global citizen”. But right now, Sweden is the place where she works best. “Plus it’s where most of my friends are,” she says. “It started with me doing one gig here two years ago and ended up with me staying. You never know where I will end up. As with most immigrants who come to Sweden and work hard, their dream is to build a house and go back to their motherland. My dream is to reside by the beach in Monrovia, Liberia, or somewhere, and open a small juice bar of some sort. I think I was built to chill and do art in some remote place, in order for me to come back to metropolitan areas and put my canvases on display, whether that be of art, music or theatre. Sweden is a place that uplifts artists without them having to live by a standard of not eating or sleeping.”

Living in cities all around the globe and the experience of meeting people going the distance with their thing has taught her a lot and influenced her sound and creativity. “Living in New York from the age of 18 taught me a lot about life. Watching artists on television from afar in Sweden left me in the dark about how the industry really works. It really is an industry, and when you conform to that, your art will be a product. I met artists doing their own thing, and that made me believe that I could, too. I think I brought a sense of independence to the table in Sweden. I’m definitely an explorer when it comes to music. A heavy bass never hurts, though. I grew up hearing music like Stevie V or Latin freestyle blasting out of cars, only to find myself in Stockholm, in a very melancholic setting, so I would say I am a mix of that.”

Being an artist has many sides to it – it offers the opportunity to express yourself but also demands a lot of hard work. And being a musician and artist is something that has changed over the years, Mapei feels. “Not only are you a artist nowadays, you are a model and an influencer, with the gab of a mayor,” she says, laughing. “Jokes aside, it takes balls to say you’re an artist and do what you love at the same time as keeping business afloat. It is such an abstract field that has existed for decades and there really is no blueprint.”

Mapei’s voice is powerful, timeless and warm, with that certain old-school glamour that is hard to pinpoint. It was when she noticed that she could hit the “Mariah Carey note” that she knew she could sing. “That’s when I was like, ‘Mom, I wanna be a star.’ Throughout the years I have learnt that being a star is not everything. It is the creativity that counts, and luckily I am gifted with writing songs, visual art, and so on. I am still learning, though… ”

Over the years, her sound has changed and gotten closer to her aesthetic. By creating pictures in her music of feelings and things she has gathered up seems to work as an outlet for her. “Music is like the love partner I cannot leave. It always calls on me, so I have accepted it’s love and I nourish it and make sure it reflects me,” she says.

Whyred has been a favourite of Mapei for some time now and, besides being in love with the name, she thinks their clothes and design always are on point. “Whyred is a legendary brand,” she says, although fashion is something that comes and goes in her life. “But there is no escaping the fact that everything is fashionable in or out of its context, which means anything can be fashionable. If we see a runway with naked people, nude will be the way to go. I hope… ” Mapei says, demonstrating her seemingly uncomplicated relationship with clothes.

Later this autumn, you’ll find Mapei on stage in both Copenhagen and Stockholm. While currently in the phase of working with new material, it’s hard for her to choose between the studio and being on stage. “The road is an external adventure and the studio is an internal one. I can’t choose between the two. I love sharing, so touring is the best way to do that.” He new single will be released soon, so get ready to welcome home one of Stockholm’s coolest voices.

Team credits:

Words by Amanda Båmstedt
Talents: Amanda Winberg, Mapei 
Photography by Dan Sjölund
Styling by Pejman Biroun Vand
Hair & Make-up by Lillis Hermansson
Special thanks to Whyred

Fashion credits: 

#1 Trouve Paisley Jacket  
#2 Francoise Jumpsuit, Showpiece Shoes 
#3 Showpiece Shirt and Shoes, Ruth Heavy Stone Jeans 
#4 Trouve Paisley Jacket, Babette Lux Trousers and Paul Shoes  
#5 Showpiece Jacket, Jeans and Shoes 
#6 Showpiece Dress
#7 Showpiece Jacket, Karolina Cherrie Shirt 
#8 Vincent Jacket, Showpiece T-shirt, Margaux Hat 
#9 Showpiece Jacket, Trousers and Shoes, Karolina Cherrie Shirt 
#10  Mills BD Paisley Shirt, Jeanne Trousers, Göthberg Shoes, Elroy Hat 

All looks by Whyred 

Team  credits:
Photography by Patrik Lindén
Styling by Sandra Ekenstam
Hair & Make Up by Annie Ankervik and Jessah Amarante
Model Kimberly B @ Stockholmsgruppen

Poem “Suddenly” by Donato Lovallo

Fashion credits:
#1 Dress and shorts by Irma Skjöth, hair piece by Casual Couture, rings by Lily And Rose.
#2 Jacket by Bitte Kai Rand, suit by Whyred, bra and belt by River Island, pantyhose as turtleneck by Wolford, rings by Sara Robertsson and rings & earrings by Lily and Rose.
#3 and #6 Jacket and trousers by Arethé Stockholm, top by Whyred, bra by Calida, flip flops by Havaianas, earrings by Jane Kønig and River Island, rings by Lily And Rose.
#4 and #9 Skirt and leather piece on arm by Fo Phan, top by Emelie Janrell, gloves by Hannah Boström/Borås Textilhögskola, underwear by River Island, pantyhose by Wolford, belt is vintage, gum boots by Hunter, earrings by River Island.
#5 Dress by Alice Jardesten, long sleeve top by Fo Phan, slip ins by Inuikii, earrings by Jane Kønig.
#7 Jeans top by River Island, pantyhose as turtleneck by Wolford, trousers by Fo Phan, gloves by Stylist’s Studio, belt is Vintage, shoes by Zalando/Zign, earrings and rings by Lily And Rose.
#8 Rain coat by River Island, rings by Ebon Li and Sara Robertsson. 

Make Up credits:
Using: Maya Chia Beauty / Veil Cosmetics / Stila Cosmetics 

Theresa Traore Dahlberg

It appears that you have assumed dual artistic identities as filmmaker and artist. Since the recent release of Ouaga Girls, which opened to great critical acclaim, you have been gaining renown as a filmmaker. Following your prior background in film, what was your experience of studying art at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm?
“Coming from a background in film, I used the time mainly to work with other materials. Although the process is different, it is my own thoughts, ideas, fears and wonders in the end. I was quite stressed in my final year, as it felt like time was running out while I still had so many ideas. Since I had worked a lot before going there, I knew that all the space, opportunities and brain capacity were a privilege that came with a due date.”

Tell us about the large-scale sculptural installation Copper and Cotton that you presented at the spring degree exhibition last year.
“It’s a 12-metre sculpture made out of leftover circuit cards in copper and wool spun by excluded women accused of witchery. My thoughts circled around the collective, such as collective exclusion, the power that can come out of people organising themselves and collective reflection. To me, the materials are seductive and their history touches upon subjects that integrate the past, present, local and global.”

The common denominator between your film works to date is that the narratives derive from places in Africa, while bringing the realities of female protagonists to the fore in light of the patriarchal expectations of women. Taxi Sister follows one of the very few female taxi drivers in Dakar, Senegal, and Ouaga Girls a group of female car-mechanic students in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Do stories come to you organically or do you set out to find poignant ones to tell?
“They come organically and usually reflect where I am at that point in my life. I never know what my next work will be, since I cannot predict the future. I just finished Ouaga Girls and The Ambassador’s Wife, and everyone is already asking me what my next film will be. I am aware that this would be a good time to dive into new ideas, but I don’t rush into things. When I know, I know, and I won’t have much of a choice but to
do it full-heartedly.”

You’ve described your personal experience filming The Ambassador’s Wife as “complex” based on the power structures and notions of post-colonialism omnipresent in the narrative. Looking back at it now, what are a few things that comes to mind that stayed with you after the project was completed.
It was interesting to hear and see in discussions after the film was completed how people had experienced completely different films. What you see, says a lot about what you don’t see.

What is in store for you in 2018?
“Ouaga Girls will be released in cinemas all over France this spring and will keep travelling the world for festival screenings. I just found out that I will exhibit new works – sculptures – at OFF Biennale Cairo, which I am greatly looking forward to!”

Liva Isakson Lundin

How would you reflect on your time since graduating from the Royal Institute of Art?
“After I graduated in spring 2016, I took some necessary time to think, sketch and find new materials and points of departures. I recently showed a group of sculptures with glass and silicone for the two-person exhibition Elaster. I am continuing to explore these two materials that have introduced me to new directions in my work. Glass has a stiff surface in contrast to the bendable steel that I am used to, resulting in a much more angular, almost graphical expression. Silicone allows me to work with transparency and depth with the help of colour. “Everything in production is much more complicated now, since I generally work with big sculptures and installations that are demanding in terms of space and materials. I am still figuring out how to work without the opportunities afforded to you at art school in terms of equipment and big studio rooms. However, I’ve got better at organising projects.”

There is an evident sense of physicality in most of your body of work to date. On that note, how would you describe your studio practice?
“I elaborate my ideas by working in parallel with sketches, experiments, models and writing. I follow all the clues I can find, letting the sculptures crystalise from the practical process. I try to keep an open mind all the time, since things that by coincidence happen on the side of the focus often lead to new projects. It is like a chain of reactions. “The components of my installations take turns shaping, stabilising and deforming each other, creating tense encounters that often relate to bodily experiences like weight, strength or balance. Working initially with steel, I realised how it has its own strength and will. I found a resistance to my sense of control over the sculpting process that intrigued me. I still work with it, both by itself and in combination with, for example, latex. Latex is an organic, very fragile-looking material that is super-elastic and strong. It is very different from steel, but both of these materials have a potential inherent movement that can be used to create tension.”

As a sculptor, what are your ideas on spatiality in the way you approach a room?
“I usually see my sculptures as something going on in, and interacting with, a room, rather than something merely on display. The exhibition can, for example, be a measurement of power between the room and the material, where I am letting the relationship between the two vary. It’s a situation that can shift between intimacy, control, reliability and daring. I want the insecurity from my experiment-based process to stay intact during an exhibition.
“When installing an artwork I also think a lot about how you can move in the room and what happens to the work when you do that. That movement can create new shapes, angles or reflections of importance. For me, the work is never finished until it has been installed somewhere. Sometimes the permanent parts of the room help maintain the shapes of the sculptures.”

What lies ahead for you in 2018?
“I am in full production mode for rgw Market Art Fair at Liljevalchs in Stockholm, where I will show with Wetterling Gallery. I am also working on a solo exhibition at Ahlbergshallen in Östersund that will open during spring.
“Later in the year, I will take part in an exhibition at Aguélimuseet in Sala, and I will start the fall with a solo exhibition at Wetterling Gallery. After that, I will go on a scholarship journey with the Royal Academy of Arts to Rome to get some new inspiration.”

Susanna Jablonski

Your presentation at the spring degree exhibition of the Royal Institute of Art last year was so delectable. In what was a giant space – Tomteboda, Stockholm’s former mail terminal – it appeared to confine a sculptural world of its own, coming across as a dense exhibition in a considerably small amount of space. How did you approach it?
“I like to let the space decide how, and sometimes what, I will show – to let the room make an impression on the work, as well as the work on the room. At Tomteboda, I wanted to use one of the tall, unfinished concrete walls by a restroom. I built a floor – a stage, you could say – mirroring the wall like a fold-down bed, in order to create a defined space for my sculptures. Some of them got to rest on the light fixtures, others climbed up the walls.”

As a sculptor, what is your studio process like?
“I have many processes going on simultaneously. A day could consist of casting in glass, testing asphalt samples, arranging found objects, editing sound or video, reading or making small clay sculptures. “These days I think a lot about entropy, geology, ghosts and super-slow movements. Also threshold moments and other in-betweens, different ways of mourning and making sense of the world. Most of my work comes to me in that moment when I’m about to wake up from a nap, when the furniture and sounds of the room blend with my dreams.”

Tell us more about the materials you work with.
“I work with substances that are at the limit of what they are capable of sustaining. I don’t think so much about how to use them in sculpture-making necessarily, but more about how they relate to my body, their surroundings, temperature and entropy, their origin and their role in written history and contemporary life.“When a form or substance stays in my mind for a long time, it usually makes its way into my studio and starts to exist, transform and blend with the other materials and narratives going on in there at the time. I usually work with materials that have some sort of pre-established value or function, or that are part of a larger system – often paper towels, glass or stone. And when I work with them I want the materials to shift slightly and start working together and create new ways of being experienced.”

With Slow Wave, your project with William Rickman, the breadth of your practice also extends to music. The sound is always so ethereal and evocative. Do you distinguish your sculptural and musical practices as vastly different ventures?
“I don’t distinguish anything that is or has been part of me as being very different from other parts, really. I tend to include everything in everything, you could say. Music is great for narratives and lately I’ve been making sound or music for my sculptures.”

Slow Wave has had a long-term collaboration with visual artist Santiago Mostyn, as seen in Mostyn’s video work Delay, presented at Moderna Museet in 2016. What is this collaborative process like?
“Santiago and I are usually very engaged in each other’s projects, and the collaboration with Slow Wave is an ongoing exchange of thoughts. With Delay, the song came first, but what inspired part of it was actually conversations on Skype with Santiago.

Lastly, what’s next for you in 2018?
“I’m working on an artistic research project called The Gender of Sound with one of my favourite artists, Cara Tolmie. The title comes from Anne Carson’s pivotal text of the same name and will culminate in a multifaceted music, art and performance event that presents some of our findings. I’m also preparing for two exhibitions that will take place later in the spring – one solo exhibition at Marabouparken, and another one at Erik Nordenhake Gallery, where Slow Wave has been invited by C-print as curators to exhibit in a gallery context for the first time.”

Lap-See Lam

​Your artistry appears notably informed by notions of diaspora and your cultural background. In particular, Chinese culinary establishments are brought to the forefront in a thought-provoking and beautiful way. What brings you to these restaurants in your art?
“My parents and grandmother owned a Chinese restaurant for 30 years, and besides them, one can track down our relatives through restaurants all over Sweden. My ambition has never been to write about the Cantonese migration in Sweden, but rather to use the notion of Chinese restaurants as an interface and a metaphor to approach certain questions.
“The Chinese restaurant is a trace of a wider global Chinese diaspora – a trace that is both something familiar in our cities, but at the same time holds the identity of ‘the oriental other’. The difference between the local guest and the ‘serving-other’ is a dichotomy that has been central to the creation of this type of business. As a second-generation Canto-Swede, I find myself navigating these cultural in-betweens, with access to both the internal and external gaze.”

With your art it’s as though we’re seeing something novel, perhaps due to the use of HD scanning and HD animation in storytelling, to its fullest potential beyond just aesthetical and technical value.
“I try to use the medium that has the potential to immediately reflect the core of the content. With Oriental Travesty I chose laser 3-D scanning, since I knew that this type of rendering, in contrast to a place that in general is considered outdated, would force the viewer to see it in a new light. The 3-D scanner collects huge amounts of point data in the distance between the scanner and object, and these create a three-dimensional surface. Applying a photo on the surface creates the illusion of a three-dimensional environment, a 3-D model. Therefore, the technique itself is based on the mathematics of distance, and reflects the sense of movement and displacement, which I wanted to access early in the process.”

​Mother’s Tongue, your recent collaborative art project with filmmaker Wingyee Wu, presents an app-based experience of visual storytelling. Apps as a platform for art still appear quite ahead of time. Tell us more about the project.
“Our choice to frame the work in an app follows the tradition of tourist-guide apps, where one is guided to discover famous or alternative stories of a city. We used this framework, but turned the gaze around – instead, the viewer is a tourist at the sites, guided by a perspective that has emerged into the shape of a subjective consciousness belonging to the Chinese restaurant, a ghost from the future. What happens if a place of projection suddenly looks back at us?
“We wanted to play with the linear time perspective. The first narrative takes place in the past on a site that once was a Chinese restaurant. The second story is one about a former owner that takes place in 2018, in a hybrid Chinese restaurant. The final story, of a grandmother at an old Chinese restaurant that looks like the first ones traditionally did, takes place in 2058. The voice-over narrative follows the logic from past to present, but is interrupted by the dramaturgy of the actual sites. In addition, the work is performed in real time, with your physical experience at the actual sites guided by the spectator from the future.”

​What’s in store for you in 2018?
“In March, Olle Norås and I will exhibit at Bonniers Konsthall as the recent recipients of the Maria Bonnier Dahlin award. Also, Wingyee Wu and I are developing Mother’s Tongue into a short film.”

Team credits
Words by Ashik Zaman
Photography by Ivan Nunez
Styling by Hilda Sandström
Hair and make up by Janina Granroth
Stylists assistant Katie-Ruby McLaughlin Robinson

Fashion credits
#1 Waistcoat by Acne Studios, shirt by Totême, trousers by Levi’s, shoes by Eytys
#5 Shirt by Acne Studios, jacket by BACK, jeans by Filippa K, Shoes by Ganni  and belt from Humana Second Hand
#9 Jacket by L’Homme Rouge, sweater by Acne Studios, shirt by Whyred, trousers
and shoes by Eytys
#13 Blazer by Rave Review, shirt by Hope, trousers by The Cords & Co, shoes by & Other Stories

Art credits
#2 White material (2017) by Theresa Traore Dahlberg
#3 The Ambassador’s Wife (16 minutes) by Theresa Traore Dahlberg
#4 Ouagadougou, copper and cotton (2017) by Theresa Traore Dahlberg
#6 Inwards (2016), steel and latex; photograph by Jean-Baptiste Béranger. Courtesy of Wetterling Gallery by Liva Isakson Lundin
#7 Stimuli (2016), spring steel and gelatin; photograph by Jean-Baptiste Béranger         Courtesy of Wetterling Gallery by Liva Isakson Lundin
#8 Peel, Shear, Tensile (2017), Silicone, glass and mdf; photograph by Liva Isakson Lundin by Liva Isakson Lundin
#10 Untitled (2017), Asphalt and cherry wood; Photograph by Santiago Mostyn by Susanna Jablonski
#11 Untitled (2017),Ceramic, polyester, ribbon, keys, marble, lavender, plastic bag, dried flowers, lampshade, stone, rubber, acorn, bean pod, jade and brass nails; Photograph by Santiago Mostyn by Susanna Jablonski
#12 Rebecka (2017),Glass and cobblestone; Photograph by Jean-Baptiste Béranger. All images courtesy of Most Ghosts Hold Grudges, Galleri Mejan, Stockholm 2017 by Susanna Jablonski
#14 Mother’s Tongue; photographs by Anna Drvnik by Lap-See Lam
#15 Mother’s Tongue; photographs by Anna Drvnik by Lap-See Lam
#16 Oriental Travesty; photograph by Jean-Baptiste Béranger by Lap-See Lam