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Embassy of SwedenWashington, USA

Local time 1:47 AM

EXHIBITION: Dreamland by Helene Schmitz

25 Mar 2021

Helene Schmitz’s work is a photographic account of the unprecedented extraction and depletion of natural resources in Sweden. "Dreamland" consists of two photography series that examine human-induced changes in bedrock and forest at two different locations: “The Bedrock” focuses on the Aitik mine outside Gällivare and “The Forest” displays the aftermath of a forest fire in former production forests of Västmanland.

Schmitz links her photographs to the rich tradition of landscape painting, using a large-format, analogue camera that lets the spectator observe both the overall vista and the small details. She calls her photographs in the "Dreamland" series “a meditation on man’s relation to nature – a global, highly industrialized and automated transformation of landscapes.”

"Dreamland" is curated in collaboration with Embassy of Sweden in USA and consists of twelve photographs, newly composed music by Lisa Montan, and the sound installation “The Messenger” (2020). “The Messenger” was also part of the group show Silent Spring in Stockholm 2020. Special thanks to Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde Art Museum and Fotografiska.

Click here for press images to download.
Click here to view a video about the exhibition in House of Sweden.
Video produced for Embassy of Sweden in USA by Antonella Ciancio/Magma Productions LLC.

Helene Schmitz was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1960. She has a bachelor’s degree in film and art history from Stockholm University. Schmitz has put together numerous exhibitions in her home country and abroad, and she has produced several award-winning books in collaboration with writers, philosophers, and historians.

"Dreamland" will be on display in House of Sweden until December 2021. 

Last updated 07 Apr 2021, 2.21 PM