Per Wizén

Through the lens of popular cultural images, Wizén invites us into some colorful fantasies based on Disney´s versions of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. The two characters have in common that they confront worlds that lie beyond the known, the illuminated, the rational – worlds of opportunity but also of darkness. As always in Wizén’s complex artistry, these new works are intimately linked with earlier ones, delving deeper into certain themes.

The large-scale photographs are based on collages made up of tens of thousands of image fragments or pieces arranged by the artist in an extremely complex and time-consuming processes. New worlds are created based on existing images. Adventure stories and a return to his own childhood form layers in these new works, but beneath the innocent and playful surfaces lurks something disconcerting.

Wizén’s working method relies on a strict set of self-imposed rules, precision, and great patience. In the course of working with hos collages, Wizén keeps the whole of the new picture in mind while simultaneously concentrating on the details. The process may be compared to deep meditations that open the door for something unexpected and dark to emerge – something the intellect cannot grasp. It is there beyond the words that the artist’s world and the viewer’s world meet.

Per Wizén (born 1966) lives and works in Malmö. His work has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions in Sweden, Finland, the United States, and several other countries. Undercurrents is Per Wizén’s first solo show at Moderna Museet. Works by the artist are included in the collections of a number of Swedish and international museums.

Curator: Iris Müller-Westermann

The exhibition is presented in the Right Gallery