MADE IN SWEDEN
Maria Juchnowska and Vivian Chan are two artists behind the art collective: Made in Sweden. Their collaboration began in 2010 and finished in the end of 2016. During the 6 years of their collaboration they explored social-political questions about personal, national, and artistic identity while utilizing a hybrid of artistic methods and materials. Being multi-racial and multicultural, they were inspired by the fact that while culture and society differs from country to country, discrimination and prejudice remains the same in the real and art world.
“Made in Sweden” during 6 years of artistic collaboration performed in Scandinavia, Europe, and exhibited their works in Tunisia, North Africa.
JESTEM Z POLSKI/
I AM FROM POLAND 2015
Performance with 500 kg clay,
"Jestem z Polski" is a 48 hour project that used 500 kg of clay, and was designed for the annual festival of ceramics in Bolesławiec. We wanted to highlight craft and the handmade object, and show how the process of making can be viewed as contemporary art.
Performed in 2015 during
Bolesławiec Festival of Ceramics in Bolesławiec, Poland.
DEAD WHITE MEN
2014
Performance with 80 kg Polish apples,
"Dead White Men" is a project that uses 80 kg of Polish apples and our largely Polish audience. We decided to create a site-, time- culture- specific performance in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland to comment upon the political, social, and artistic situation in Poland.
Performed in 2014 at Mosart BWA Gallery in Gorzów Wielkopolski Poland.
In 2014 the embargo on food products from European Union countries was announced . It was Moscow's response to EU sanctions introduced in connection with the rejoining (1954 transfer of Crimea) of Crimea to Russia after "Ukrainian Revolution" financially supported by the EU and instigated by West and USA.
A 2014 referendum on joining Crimea with Russia was supported by a majority of voters according to official counts; it was boycotted by many loyal to Ukraine, and denounced as illegitimate by Western governments.
Despite the embargo, for over fruits from the banned countries, including Poland, have been reaching the Russian market. In Russia, Polish apples have become a symbol of border leaks and the demand for them is still high.
On 24 June 2019 the validity of the embargo was further prolonged until 31 December 2020 by the Presidential Decree No. 293.
Sources: Wikipedia and https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/international_affairs/eu_russia/russian_import_ban_eu_products_en
(Updated on 31st of May 2020).
ONE NIGHT STAND 2012
One Night Stand is a physical, intellectual, and emotional experiment which invites intimacy and confronts honesty in a public space. What happens when we put our thoughts down onto paper?
How would you answer these questions? How would you ask these questions?
1. Why are you here?
2. What do you want?
3. How do you like it?
4. What would you like done to you?
5. What would you like to do to me?
Performed in 2012 at "Last of Summer"in Ostkreuz Berlin, Germany.
TRASH COLLECTORS 2011
Is a site specific performance about the sometimes invisible value of ceramic and glass objects that many of us take for granted. It is about recycling and re-inventing art-craft objects, so that they can transform from being art into trash, back into art, and then trash again. As the saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, and Made in Sweden would like to highlight the treasures which can often be found in Konstfack’s university trash bins. Performance with trash (found ceramics) and clay.
Performed in 2011 during Master Graduation show at Konstfack University of Arts Craft and Design in Stockholm, Sweden.
LÖK/ONION
2010-2011
By using porcelain slip, onions, sound and inviting our audience to actively participate in the performace, we combine different media in order to show how individuals, with completely different backgrounds, cultures and histories can face the same problems when trying to assimilate into mainstream society. The desire to fit in drives our artistic actions as we question the stereotypes behind race, gender, nationality, art and craft. Performance with porcelain slip and onions.
Performed in 2010 at "Smog" Performance Festival at Centre of Culture in Katowice, Poland.
2010 at "Line by line exhibition" in Stockholm, Sweden and
2011 "Collaborative Performances" at Galleri Fisk/Premiss in Bergen, Norway.