JOAKIM ALLGULANDER
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
Private View: Thursday 4th June 2015, 19:00-21:30
Exhibition dates at Grace Belgravia, London: 5th June – 27th July, 2015
Curated by Raffaella Galliano
“It would be so nice if something made sense for a change.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll’s children’s classic, ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’ turns 150 this year. Drawing inspiration from the novel, Joakim Allgulander’s latest solo exhibition titled ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ evokes the surreal and dream-like state we are presented in this literary masterpiece.
Similarly, Allgulander explores the spiritual and philosophical journey through madness to wisdom. His work explores the existential dilemma in his art, and presents a dynamic interplay between contrasts: what is real and what is imagination, natural and artificial, new and old, to more archetypical opposites such as light and darkness, life and death. The work of Joakim Allgulander is characterised by a strong conceptual base, combined with the skill of craft and a love for the production process.
His work demonstrates a curiosity and desire to explore different media and techniques, through works that cover figurative and abstract paintings, sculptures, graphics, prints and installations. His main body of work consists of a series of larger paintings depicting chandeliers. The duality occurs in these works through the interpretation of these objects as symbols for a better life; but also through the possibility of these becoming organic creatures living a life of their own.
Allgulander invites us to a place where we can explore our preconceptions of ideas, release our inhibitions, and to start really questioning to gain true wisdom and true knowledge. In its insanity, in its complete separation from the world of adults, one can begin the long journey to true knowledge. We can see this in his work Mushroom; where in popular culture the mushroom represents the psychedelic trip.
If ‘Wonderland’ weren’t a magical fantasyland, Alice would have been probably hurt by the fall and lost her way as she has no idea where she’s going, what she’s facing, or how to get home. Going down the rabbit hole is a one-way trip – the entry, but not the exit, to the fantasy world – Joakim Allgulander invites you to explore it through the lens of his curiosity and emotion.
BIOGRAPHY
Joakim Allgulander (1965) is a Swedish painter, sculptor and conceptual artist born in Stockholm. Allgulander studied at the College of Arts and Crafts in Stockholm; to become one of Sweden’s most renowned contemporary artists. The work of Allgulander is frequently represented and exhibited both in Sweden and Internationally. Since his move to London two years ago, he has been involved in a number of projects with a number of curators and is represented by Jealous Gallery. Recent exhibitions includes The International Art Fair (Jealous Gallery), The Original Print Fair RA (Jealous Gallery), Spring Salon, Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm – where two of his major works; The Human Katapult and the neon chair Burned was exposed. Intruders. Agardh-Tornvall Gallery, Stockholm, The Great Sleep. PS Gallery Gothenburg. ART14 (Jealous Gallery). Allgulander is also known for his neon piece Bubble featured in the UK TV show The Apprentice.
Down the Rabbit Hole is Joakim Allgulander’s first solo exhibition in London and has been initiated by freelance curator Raffaella Galliano.
LINKS