Even though there are cultural differences between the Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Finnish people, to understand the Scandinavians (Finland included) it is useful to know the Law of Jante, considered being the essence of the social philosophy in Northern Europe. The Danish-Norwegian author Axel Sandemose introduced the law in his book “A fugitive is crossing his tracks” back in 1933, portraying the small Danish town, Jante

The essence of the law is never to think you are better than anyone else, and has shaped our cultural acceptance of artists in general. So Scandinavian artists success may be admired, but outstanding achievements often give rise to envy, followed by pleasure when the stars fall.

So, how do the Scandinavian fine art photographers do in the international market? As I attend Fine Art Photography fairs as Paris Photo or AIPAD in New York, I am struck by the variety of expressions and massive amount of photography – from all over the world, and I wonder why there are so few Scandinavian photographers represented. At Paris Photo 2008 only 2 Scandinavian galleries were represented out of a total of 120. At AIPAD in New York, April 2008, there was only one Scandinavian gallery out of 72 exhibitors.

FINLAND

There are some glimpses of light in this darkness, however: Gallery TaiK presents “The Helsinki School” both at AIPAD and at Paris Photo. The Helsinki School is a selected group of photographers and video artists whom have taught, are graduated or have attended the University of Art and Design in Helsinki. Camera Obscura represents Pentti Sammallahti (1950), one of Finland’s pre-eminent photographers. He combines formal Finnish aesthetic with humor in exploring relationships between humans, animals and nature.

Minkkinen Arno Rafael, Le Bouquet d´Arbres, Malmö Castle Prison, Malmö, Sweden, 2007 Vintage silver print 8.5 x 5.75 inch © Courtesy Robert Klein Gallery

Arno Minkkinen was born in Finland in 1945 and moved to USA when he was 6 years old. He sees himself as a documentary photographer and has spent the past 38 years photographing himself. His images are never manipulated – what you see is what happens in reality.

DENMARK

Stub Wittrup Ebbe, Presumed Reality #15, 2008 C-print 95 x 136 cm © Courtesy Martin Asbaek Projects, Copenhagen

The Danish gallery Martin Asbaek Projects presented Ebbe Stub Wittrup (1973) who found a box of slides from a hiking trip in Norway in the late 1950′s that created a conceptual framework for Presumed Reality. The body of work appears to present something real but in fact what you see is a free interpretation of a hiking trip that the photographer never participated in. The photographic duo Nicolai Howalt & Trine Søndergaard exhibited large colour photographs showing an entire hunt in one image at the same gallery.

NORWAY

Christian Houge “Antenna Forest” 66*200 cm, C-print, limited edition of 7. © Courtesy Christian Houge and ellen-k FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

Scout Gallery exhibited Christian Houge (1972) as the first Norwegian photographer at Paris Photo in 2005 with two bodies of work; “Arctic Technology” – with images of high-tech antenna constructions, juxtaposing Man’s search for knowledge with the surrounding primal landscape, and “Barentsburg”, a personal documentary from a the ruins of a mining town on the island of Spitsbergen where Houge portrays post-communist Russia frozen in time.

 

Christian Houge, “ Oleg” C-print, 66*200, Limited edition of 7 ã Courtesy Christian Houge and ellen-k FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

SWEDEN

In Paris, Gallery VU exhibited Swedish and Finnish personal documentary photographs by Christer Strømholm (1918-2002) and Anders Petersen (1944), maybe one of the most important European photographers living today. Petersens intimate photographs of late-night regulars at Café Lehmitz in 1960s are iconic. Gallery Vu also exhibited fast rising stars as Anja Hyytiainen (1974) and JH Engstrøm (1969).

Tunbjörk Lars, from the series “Vinter”, Jukkasjärvi, 2004 © Courtesy Lars Tunbjörk and VU’La Galerie, Paris

In the “Vinter” series the Swedish photographer Lars Tunbjørk (1956) explores the mental state Scandinavians enter during the dark periods of the year. The body of work was his way of doing something creative with his feelings of depression in the winter season.

Rising stars

Scandinavia has many talented and hard working fine art photographers eager to enter the international limelight. Photography is an important part of the Scandinavian visual culture, and art photography has developed significantly the past three decades. However, most Scandinavian fine art galleries offer a combination of paintings, photography and sculpture, and as a result they tend not to participate at specialized important Fine Art Photography fairs as AIPAD and Paris Photo.

As Fine Art Photography is increasingly recognized as art in Scandinavia, and the interaction with other countries create opportunities for Scandinavian photographers to exhibit their work abroad, new stars will inevitably rise.

So to the keen collector of international Fine Art Photography, I suggest you look to Scandinavia and the rising stars of Scandinavian Fine Art Photography’s firmament – as they shine and light up the city previously known as Jante.

PHOTOICON’s MADE IN SCANDINAVIA ISSUE january 2009 by ellen-k syverstad.

www.photoicon.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FACTS

 

Paris Photo has won recognition as the world’s premier fair for still photography. The event offers a panorama of Fine Art Photography from its early days to the present day, and presents a visionary overview of global trends and expressions available in this medium.

 

* 40,000 visitors (40 % from abroad).

* 120 exhibitors – galleries, publishers and magazines – from some 20 countries.

* Work by more than 500 international photographers.

* Media coverage with 500 stories in the most prestigious international news outlets.

* 1,000 accredited journalists from 50 countries.

 

www.parisphoto.fr

 

AIPAD

 

The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) presents one of the most important international photography events, The AIPAD Photography Show New York. More than 75 of the world’s leading Fine Art Photography galleries presents a wide range of museum quality work by contemporary, modern and 19th century master The AIPAD Photography Show New York is the longest running and foremost exhibition of Fine Art Photography.

 

www.aipad.com