Exploring Stockholm’s largest independent art fair celebrating indie artists and happiness.
Hungarian artist Hilda Kozári at Supermarket 2013, Stockholm – All photos by Lola A. Åkerström
“What do you smell?” Hilda asked me. I leaned in closer to the black sculpture hanging on the wall. It looked like leather. I definitely smelt leather.
“Leather?” She shook her head. “Some people think it’s licorice and so they smell licorice. It’s all psychological.” she explained. This was part of Hungarian artist Hilda Kozári’s sense workshop. One that challenged patrons to guess what an art piece was through smell. Now based in Finland, Hilda exhibits her work as part of Galleria Sculptor in Helsinki.
I was attending Supermarket – Stockholm’s independent art fair – spanning two floors of the city’s iconic Kulturhuset. With over 85 exhibitors participating from 30 countries, the event has grown over the last eight years to become arguably the largest international art fair in the Nordics. From visual artists, sculptors, mixed media artists, and photographers to radio and TV art personalities and DJs, Supermarket aims to spotlight galleries run by independent artists themselves.
It is becoming increasingly common for artists to take matters into their own hands and set up galleries and project spaces. Supermarket is an arena for such artist-run initiatives. The aim is for Supermarket to be a place where a wider public can become a part of what is happening on the artist-run scene. Supermarket wants to offer the visitor an exhibition with unexpected meetings and experiences rather than focusing on sales….Supermarket
This year’s theme focused on “Happiness” – that never-ending pursuit of happiness and how we all personally define it. And many artists presented that theme through their artwork – in subtly subconscious ways to more obvious displays.
As for Hilda’s black art piece I initially thought was leather, I never did figure out what it was. I guess that was the point. To define my own reality and in essence, define my own measure of happiness.
More photos from Supermarket 2013
