Paweł Althamer’s sculpture Emissaries of Light (2022) presents a seemingly mismatched group of figures caught in a winding ring dance that appears to defy gravity. Each figure is in mid-motion, as if about to take the next step in the dance or lose balance and fall. The artist leaves it unsaid whether the collective movement is a joyous experience or a hastening procession
towards death.

Althamer often returns to the idea of play as a method of work. Through play, we can follow the rules of the game (society), but also renegotiate or break them. Dancing with others can be a way of playing together and relying on other bodies, but it also carries the risk of losing control. If one is willing to lose oneself in the collective movement, dancing can potentially become an out-of-body experience.

Paweł Althamer (b. 1967 in Warsaw, Poland) works with sculpture, performance, video, and actions. He studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (1988–1993). His work often portrays the human body, but he is primarily interested in what lies beyond our physical manifestation.

Exhibition curator: Olga Krzeszowiec Malmsten 
Technician: Erik Rask

Lisa Boström Head of Communications
Antoine Deeb Administrator
Hedvig Furuhagen Communications Officer
David Hamati Premises Manager
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Olga Krzeszowiec Malmsten Curator
Thomas Nordin Chief Technician
Tessa Praun Museum Director & Chief Curator
Erik Rask Technician & Conservator