ABOUT Trial and Error (Janna Holmstedt + Po Hagström) is a Swedish artist duo working with projects related to national identity and the use of public space. Trial-and-error is a method for solving problems and obtaining knowledge. Holmstedt and Hagström use it as a playful and analytical tool to scrutinize situations and concepts they find intriguing. They earned their MFA from the Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, Sweden in 2004 and are now based in Stockholm. They have exhibited and published articles in Sweden and abroad, together and individually. They work with text, image, video and installations as well as interventions and web based projects. RECENT AND UPCOMING Apr 2008: "Umwelt" and "Don't Mind the Gap", two contributions in Glänta magazine #1-2:2008 >> 13-16 Mar 2008: Paletten presents Trial and Error and Lisa Jonasson, Sollentuna Art Fair, Stockholm, Swe >> Feb 2008: "Welcome to ESTonia. En roadmovie i fem delar", article (Swe) in Paletten art magazine #270-271:2008 >> 4-5 Feb 2008: "Älskar, älskar inte", workshop at Nyckelviksskolan, Stockholm, Sweden. 26-29 Nov 2007: “Monumentos para las masas", workshop at Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño de la Universidad Nacional in San Juan, Argentina >>     > projects > exhibitions and activities > writing > bibliography Contact: mail[at]trialerror.org                   CHRONOLOGY   2008       ARTICLE: UMWELT Glänta Magazine #1-2, April 2008. The theme of this double issue of the Swedish cultural magazine Glänta is "The missing links". We contribute with "Don't mind the Gap", that stretches over 160 pages of the magazine, and "Umwelt", an article that focuses on different kinds of perception – using John Wilkins, Jakob von Uexküll, a selection of museums and a blind man on a moped as references. Glänta was released April 9 at Café Publik in Göteborg.                 ARTICLE: WELCOME TO ESTONIA, A ROADMOVIE IN FIVE PARTS Paletten #270 / 271, Feb, 2008. This issue of the Swedish art magazine Paletten focuses on biennales and art events. The article ”Welcome to ESTonia – a road movie in five parts” describes the project ”Monument for the Masses”. We also visit a private museum in Setomaa and discuss the attempt to put the Swedish town Borås on the map by erecting a huge statue of Pinocchio. Paletten was released at the international artist-run art fair Supermarket in Stockholm, Feb 15-17, 2008. At Sollentuna Art Fair, 13-16 Mar, 2008, Paletten showed works by Lisa Jonasson and Trial and Error.                 WORKSHOP: ÄLSKAR, ÄLSKAR INTE [LOVES ME, LOVES ME NOT] Nyckelviksskolan, Stockholm, Feb 4-5, 2008. Fifteen art and crafts students at Nyckelviksskolan documented public expressions in Stockholm that they have strong opinions about during one day. The following workshop mainly focused on art in the subway, street art, the monument for Karl XII – the ”war king” that are celebrated by neo nazis every year – and the new kind of monument that are mushrooming everywhere in Stockholm at the moment: The Shopping Center.     - - -   2007       WORKSHOP: MONUMENTOS PARA LAS MASAS Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño de la Universidad Nacional, San Juan, Argentina, Nov 26-29, 2007. What sites in the city provoke strong emotions and opinions? What narratives can be found beneath the surface of a contested, neglected or much loved place? The workshop was an attempt to establish a dialogue between old and new sites in the city – activating them through connecting the personal, historical, and political narratives that accompany them. Read more >>                 WEBLOG: OUR NEIGHBOUR CYCLOP Point of View, Oct 15, 2007. In a deserted parking lot beneath a dumpsite in the Southern suburbs of Stockholm one does not expect to find much. But here a group of hard working enthusiasts have built a culture house called Cyklopen (The Cyclop). Read more >>                 WEBLOG: A BUFFALO IN OMAHA AND THE PLEASURES OF MISINTERPRETATION Point of View, Aug 29, 2007. Walking in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, you will at some point encounter a buffalo – slightly larger than life and cast in bronze. It looks lost and a bit scared among the skyscrapers trying to navigate in this modern urban landscape, but soon you realize it is not alone. Read more >>                 WEBLOG: DIRECTOR INGMAR BERGMAN AND SWEDEN Point of View, Aug 7, 2007. Bergman’s way of portraying his country in his films had a massive impact in the 1950s and 1960s. Around the world the people of Sweden was regarded as brooding, depressed and consumed by guilt. And Sweden itself was, according to the American Associated Press: ”the claustrophobic gloom of unending winter nights, its glowing summer evenings”. Read more >>                 WEBLOG: PUT THE LIGHT OUT, ERASE A LINE Point of View, Aug 7, 2007. The Stockholm Pride Festival 2007 has offered many things. The media still exclusivly focus on the flamboyant part of the gay community; all political parties (except for the christian conservatives) have competed in Pride exposure and there has been a very good artist run exhibition. Read more >> Artwork (detail) by Stefan Forss, polaroids and text.                 REPRESENTED: RHIZOME ARTBASE Rhizome.org ArtBase, June 19, 2007. The web project "Monument for the Masses" is now represented at Rhizome.org ArtBase, an online archive of new media art, affiliate of the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York. Read more >>                 WEBLOG: MY SWEDEN. NOT ONLY CLEAN BUT ALSO WELL REGISTERED Point of View, June 13, 2007. Everyone born in Sweden since 1975 is registered in a large DNA file, and voices are raised that the police should have a DNA register over everyone living in Sweden. Read more >>                 WEBLOG: MY SWEDEN – CLEAN SPACES, CLEAN INFORMATION Point of View, June 12, 2007. ”I dont understand what you mean by street art. If it has no permission, it is regular destruction and should be punished. I think it is equal to destroying someones car.” (Mikael Söderlund, vice mayor Stockholm). Read more >>                 WEBLOG: THE ART SPACE RACE Point of View, May 29, 2007. When walking in downtown San Francisco we pass Frey Norris Gallery. The current exhibition is entitled ”American Debut” and shows paintings by Zhong Biao. The subtitle reads: ”First ever American solo exhibition for internationally recognized Chinese artist”. We look at the large scale, skilled paintings and discuss the ever increasing interest for contemporary Chinese art in the West. Read more >> Artwork (detail) by Zhong Biao                 EXHIBITION: VITALIZE OR NEUTRALIZE? Liljevalchs konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden, Jan 26-Mar 18, 2007. The 4 min. DVD "Vitalize or Neutralize? In Search of a Revealing Example" was shown in the Spring salon at Liljevalchs Konsthall.               EXHIBITION: INAUGURATION-KIT Supermarket, Konstnärshuset, Stockholm, Sweden, Feb 22-25, 2007. The portable Inauguration-kit contains everything one might need for inaugurations, unveiling of public art and similar events. Read more >>             ARTICLE: "SOME DAY THEY'RE GONNA NAME A STREET AFTER ME" Estonian Art no 2:2006, Feb, 2007. The Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli has developed a curious business strategy. He offers his sculptures as gifts from the Russian people to cities all around the world, specializing in huge monuments to commemorate victims of recent tragedies or popular historical figures. Read more >>           - - -   2006     EXHIBITION: TRIAL AND ERROR – MONUMENT FOR THE MASSES Linnagalerii / Tallin City Gallery, Estonia, Sep14-Oct 1, 2006. We use an existing proposal for a huge statue in the bay of Tallinn as a starting point to investigate monuments as a phenomenon and the rituals surrounding art in public spaces. Why are there so many naked women in Swedish cityscapes? Are they in any way related to the contested Soviet Bronze Soldier in Tallinn? Read more >>             ONLINE: OPEN CALL FOR PARTICIPATION – PARK FOR UN/WANTED PUBLIC EXPRESSIONS Virtual park, May 17, 2006-ongoing. Is there any public art, architecture or other manifestations that you would like to remove, exchange or rebuild? Then you are welcome to contribute to our virtual park. The park can be seen as a growing archive of values by which we judge art, architecture and other expressions in different public spaces. Visit the park >>             ONLINE: MONUMENT FOR THE MASSES – PROPOSAL FOR A COUNTER-MONUMENT Release of online project, May 17, 2006. What kinds of monuments are possible? Where and when? New York has its Statue of Liberty and Rio de Janeiro its Statue of Christ the Redeemer. In Estonia the artist Tauno Kangro has offered a 14-meter statue of the national hero Kalevipoeg as a gift to the City of Tallinn. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it the wrong location, an occupation of public space by private capital, a marvellous gift or a huge stupid mistake? Go to online project >>