An interest in the products we consume – unnecessary objects of little “real” use – runs through Agnes Lindvall’s practice. Cheap and puerile items, things one can never have too many of, promising joy while being designed for disposability. Mass-produced under unclear conditions and materials, in bright, shiny colors, squishable megaflumpsies layered with glitter – objects that make us feel… happily fulfilled?
Alongside this exploration, Lindvall’s attention turns toward the relationship between these products and nature, within the catastrophic consequences driven by patterns of consumption. What attracts and repels becomes a way of revealing something about our desires and impulses, and the absurd mechanisms of the accelerating society. This investigation is pursued with a life-affirming intention, returning to where life once began: the ocean. A place where primordial slime teems with vitality, with creatures both mesmerizing and strange. The ocean continues to captivate, remaining one of the least known environments to us, while simultaneously being overexploited and used as a dumping ground.
Working primarily with sculpture, often presented as installation, Lindvall creates artificial natures built from human-made materials and the remains of production. Packaging and imitation become integral parts of these environments – nature’s new home. The aesthetics of cuteness play a central role in the practice, connecting to hyper-femininity, popular culture, nostalgia, desire, and technology. Through sea creatures, Lindvall explores what hides beneath the shell of something seemingly innocent and playful.