Art that disturbs and moves us?
Works from the Public Art Agency’s collection at Linnaeus University.
18 September 2024–21 February 2025, Knowledge Cube exhibition space, the University Library, Växjö.
With the exhibition Art that disturbs and moves us? we want to reflect on the public art around us. Why do we have art at the university? Why do tastes differ and how can they change over time? In this exhibition, we have collected a few works found at Linnaeus University that have disturbed, moved and perhaps upset us.
Can you show anything in a public space?
At Linnaeus University, we have a rich collection of contemporary art on loan from the Public Art Agency. The works are displayed in various open spaces where students, staff, and visitors can experience them. But can you really show anything in a public space, and what significance does the location have for the artworks?
”Universities’ knowledge production is directed at international colleagues, students, and the general public. It concerns all aspects of life and the world. Academic work is a highly ambitious and exploratory endeavour, aimed at developing precise evidence as well as at enriching the creation of meaning, with the ability to communicate complexity in a way that resonates, without resorting to false simplification. The unique potential of art lies in its refusal to present conclusive answers. It can reveal unexpected beauty in what we initially perceived as ugly and repulsive, while also offering contradictory images and reactions where necessary – or simply enriching us through thought-provoking experiments. The forms of artistic expression are a necessary part of successful knowledge production – setting knowledge in motion for a sustainable societal development”, says Peter Aronsson, vice-chancellor of Linnaeus University.
”Art criticism and art education can provide us with greater knowledge, understanding, and entry points into the world of art – seeing, reading about, discussing, and understanding art gets more enjoyable and rewarding the more we immerse ourselves in encounters with art and engage in conversations about it with others”, says Helen Hägglund, programme coordinator of the Cultural University.
Participating artists
Monika Marklinger, Marianne Lindberg De Geer, Signe Johannessen, Elina Brotherus, Roger Andersson and Kohei Yoshiyuki.
Photo in the top of the page:
The video work Hic Sunt Dracones by Signe Johannessen raises questions about humanity’s constant need to master nature and harness its power. © Signe Johannessen/Copyright 2024