About “China, US and Mona Lisa”

Like several other exhibitions I have held, this is a combi-exhibition. It consists of 1) my ten SPAR Photo & Painting Combines, 2) works, including collages, based on images from China in 2018, 3) a few works I’ve created earlier this year with reference to the deep crisis in the United States, 4) some art photographics works with reference to Rumi, Jasper Johns and Caravaggio as well as some abstracts and, finally, a few older works that hang in my office, including some which have been remastered and some which are pure experiments – 70 pieces all in all.

Above you see a bit of a print, “Lady Gaga on Capitol Hill” singing at President Biden’s inauguration. But there is also another reference to Capitol Hill – namely January 6, 2021, based on Jasper Johns’ Flags from 1958.

My exhibitions have mostly reflected what I have been experimenting with the last months rather than something I curate or try to make thematic. I think that is natural and acceptable since my exhibitions take place in a studio gallery where I live and work. Were it to be an exhibition at a gallery or museum, it would of course have to be more thematic and carefully curated.

Quite unintentionally, this exhibition happens to also mirror – to some extent, at least – that I am working these years as a researcher to a) learn about and understand better China and b) investigate how the US is declining and its Empire soon falling as well as its systematic building of what in a recent report we have called the China Cold War Agenda, CCWA.

You may find much about this at The Transnational.

The mentioned Combines are waiting to go to China and there join my SPAR Installation that was exhibited at the Biennale in 2019. Sadly, the Corona ruined all the plans I had back then. But as of writing, Chinese authorities have decided to take care of and promote it, namely The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship With Foreign Countries.

I’m also getting all the good advice I could ever wish from two dear friends, Eric Messerschmidt who heads the Danish Cultural Institute in Beijing and Gordon Dumoulin who is an Associate of our foundation and with whom I work on our reports related to China.

So, for the first time in this long process, I am confident. And try to be patient.

All the 2018 China works on display will also join the SPAR Exhibition in China, and I am happy they can be shown here at my studio until they are dispatched.

When it comes to the 4th group in this show – the art photographics – I am particularly excited to show two works that have reference to Jasper Johns and a one to Caravaggio, the latter being the most complex print I have ever made.

This exhibition was originally opened at the Lund Art Easter Round but, due to the corona, only very few came around. In October, the two major events are held – the Cultural Night and the Art Weekend. So that is when I shall re-open it, hopefully with many more visitors.

You are most welcome too at Vegagatan 25 in Lund and, if not possible, the exhibition can also be seen online here.