Early One Morning – Skellefteå, 2025

Title: Early One Morning – Skellefteå, 2025
Technology: Painted steel
Location: Manhemkajen
Art consultant: Anna Karin Larsson

Jacob Dahlgren finds patterns in the world that surrounds him, takes it out of its context and puts it in a new context, creating abstract works, which he clearly depicts with the sculpture Early One Morning – Skellefteå.

According to the artist, the work is designed in the same way that one draws an infinity figure with a single line without lifting the pen from the paper. Its appearance changes depending on the angle from which it is viewed, i.e. a repetitive structure that twists in different directions like a drawing made in a single line.

The sculpture gives a soft expression with its rounded shapes, despite the fact that the work is made of painted steel. Dahlgren wants to de-dramatize the art by placing the work directly on the ground without a pedestal, inviting participants and blurring the line between playground and sculpture. Here, there are also no direct boundaries between art, architecture and design. With the work, he wants to invite passers-by to sit on the lower floors and create a kind of meeting place for relaxation and play.

JACOB DAHLGREN

Jacob Dahlgren has, over the past decades, persistently explored and lived with the endless possibilities of abstraction, with his precise sense of materiality at the core. His artistic practice is versatile, extensive, and playful, ranging from material-based painting, sculpture, and installation to video works and performative social manifestations. A recurring theme in his work is a fascination with stripes, repetition, and the use of everyday objects as starting points for often large-scale abstract pieces, rich in art historical references.

Jacob Dahlgren (b. 1970) lives and works in Stockholm. He studied at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm from 1994 to 1999, earning his M.F.A. in 1999.

Webb: https://www.jacobdahlgren.com/

Instagram: @jacob_dahlgren