[flourishing] in the Ordinary Anthropocene

vilmajohansson8
5 hours ago
2 min read

BIOrdinary Art Exhibition, Stockholm, 18 May–18 June 2026

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made their way to the vernissage of BIOrdinary's conference photo exhibition in Stockholm on the 28th of May to celebrate, and grieve, the research project coming to an end.

With the help of our talented friend, Koshik Zaman, and his trained eye, we selected 25 images and additional objects that spoke to the theme of our conference, The Ordinary Anthropocene: Biodiversity in the other 70%. Please see below Zaman's exhibition statement and acknowledgements.

[flourishing]

Artist-researchers: Karin Ahlberg, Tomas Cole, Emma Cyr, Vilma Johansson, Bengt G. Karlsson, Gabriel Urlich Lennon, Ivana Maček and Joel Rodrigues

Department of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University

18.05.2026 – 18.06.2026

Like many visual artists, and perhaps lens-based artists in particular, the artist-researchers in this exhibition maintain extensive archives, much of which is never seen. The process of diving into the artists’ research projects has been rewarding, not only in relation to the final outcome but also on a personal level.

From the outset, the artistic quality was remarkably high—the group required only a small push from an external perspective. From experience, I have found that when engaging with different artistic practices, points of overlap tend to emerge throughout the process. Although the works span diverse locations and contexts, from Oaxaca, Mexico, to urban Singapore, several common threads become apparent.

In some cases, it is even difficult to distinguish the artists from one another. For instance, in a former unused office space turned gallery for the occasion, an installation on the wall alludes to a maritime environment through works by multiple artists, in which authorship is intentionally blurred.

The exhibition title, “flourishing” is enclosed in square brackets—a deliberate gesture that suggests hope while also evoking notions of limitation. The members of the group may explore dilemmas surrounding diversity in “ordinary places,” but from my perspective, despite some initial hesitation, this has been nothing short of an extraordinary process. From beginning to end, it has been creative, collaborative, and collective in spirit. As always, teamwork wins.

Special thanks to Olle and Simon at Hennings Trumma for their invaluable help, Jenny Skoogh for the exhibition identity, and SKF Konstnärshuset and Index Art Foundation for generously sharing technical equipment.