Calmation

”The young man is laying in a black river, like a male version of Ophelia, a classic painting. Ophelia is a painting by British artist Sir John Everett Millais, completed between 1851 and 1852. Currently held in the Tate Britain in London, it depicts Ophelia, a character from Shakespeare's play Hamlet, singing before she drowns in a river in Denmark.

In contrast to the old painting where we see a woman drowning, here we see a man that is reflecting and trying to learn new ways in his life to handle the surrounding.

The video piece refers to chaos and calmness. How we handle turbulence around us and try to stay calm and keep focus in our lives. In both daily situations and in a bigger picture. It's about a person that are trying to learn to find balance.

The video also questions how we want to see our selves and what direction we want to go? One has to be brave to trust the change and unknown.

(Calmness is the mental state of being free from agitation, excitement, or disturbance.)”

- Maria Friberg

Maria Friberg, born in 1966 in Malmö, is one of Sweden’s most established photo and video artists. In her work she explores existential questions regarding identity, power and social hierarchies. She has had solo exhibitions at Fotografiska, Stockholm, Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle and Konsthallen Bohusläns Museum, Uddevalla. Herparticipation in group exhibitions include Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Palazzo Fortuny, Venice and Västerås Konstmuseum. Maria Friberg is alsorepresented in the collections of Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Kiasma – Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki; Fotomuseum Winterthur, Zürich and the Denver Art Museum, Denver. Since 1995 the artist is represented by Galleri Charlotte Lund