Klara Liden, Still from Paralysed (2003)
KLARA LIDEN
22 Nov 2007– 17 Jan 2008
Klara Liden’s art is characterised by the intense, focused energy of her performances and a rebellious combination of defiance and inscrutability. Whether building temporary bunkers from recycled materials, creating an alternative postal system in her native Stockholm, or producing books from appropriated street advertising, her activities are defined by a blatant disregard for social convention.
Before turning to fine art Liden studied architecture, an interest reflected in her investigations of public and private space, and her constant questioning of the rules of urban living. Whether shot on a commuter train or in the confines of her own apartment, Liden’s performative videos challenge the behavioural norms and expectations that govern the spaces we inhabit, while enacting a perverse mixture of exhibitionism and enigma.
Describing her direct and intimate videos, Liden says, ‘I often work from an impulse, using what I have at hand.’ This attitude extends to the use of her own body as the vehicle for each performance, and as the lens through which we read her resistance to social constraints. The compelling ambiguity of Liden’s work may also be a form of resistance. As she says of her practice: ‘I have never felt it important to define myself. I do what I can - and sometimes try to do what I cannot.’
Klara Liden was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1979. She lives and works in Stockholm and Berlin.
LINKS:
Hayward Gallery / Southbank Centre website
frieze magazine article on Klara Liden
Klara Liden artist's pages at reenaspaulings.com
