The idea for this project was born from studying the historical experience of Modernist artists who fled cities for nature. One of the most unusual examples of such escapism was Ivan Höglund. Faced with personal tragedy, the successful Stockholm artist returned in the 1920s to the places of his childhood—the island of Öland in southeastern Sweden. There, he searched for himself, creating numerous landscapes and portraits of the local people. Höglund captured the ascetic, restrained beauty of Öland's shores and countryside. By working with a local audience—for instance, farmers who commissioned paintings from him—Höglund found a unique place outside the mainstream of Swedish art history.
For me, an artist from Russia, this experience is paradoxically valuable. It raises key questions for me: How can one contemplate oneself beyond geographical boundaries while working with a local audience? How can one pay tribute to an artist who has been unjustly pushed to the periphery of art history?
In searching for answers to these questions, I used the soft irony of Höglund's aesthetic. I traveled to Öland, to places connected with his biography, and photographed myself there with my painting dedicated to him, against the backdrop of those landscapes. However, the essence of the project is not the painting itself... Its true core is the dialogue with the viewer about the artist who celebrated these places. Höglund's experience, still relevant today, provides an answer for how an artist can create art when circumstances are against them.
Venue: ossi mi (Samara, Russia)
Date: 29.06.2025 – 20.07.2025
