Gabriella Carlsson

b. 1968,Sweden

The play and disruption of an object in relation to the human body and cultural conventions form the backbone of my practice. My work with the nylon stocking is an example of this. By using the stocking in an unconventional way – over my head or over the legs of a chair – I disrupt the given meaning and shift the focus to another.This way of handling objects is inspired by the way objects are used in subcultures. Here the disruption speaks about both the outsider in society and the belonging to another group. You can reinvent yourself and take control over the objects by interpreting them in a different way. From the perspective of an outsider, hidden codes generate power and strengthen identities. Outsiders of any group may be considered weak by the rest of the group (society), while rebels seem strong and are celebrated. Issues such as identity, boundaries, freedom and resistance are tied to this context.

I chose to allow some space, letting the viewer ask the question: Is this art? I find this perspective more interesting as it leaves openings. I also carry out my work in an economical manner, gaining the maximum expression from the least means, so I can perform it wherever I am.

(Text: heroes + holies catalogue, 2002)