March 28 – August 10, 2025
Drick Drick
Solo exhibition at Liljevachs opening on March 28, 2025
PRESS RELEASE :Liljevalchs is proud to present "Drick Drick," a major solo exhibition by Carola Grahn, one of Scandinavia's leading contemporary artists. Opening on March 28, 2025, this exhibition marks Grahn's first significant showcase in Stockholm.
In "Drick Drick," Grahn transforms ordinary objects into compelling symbols of personal experience, social critique, and collective memory. An overflowing glass, a joik machine, brooms, and 17 engraved knives become the building blocks of large-scale, meticulously crafted installations that span the exhibition halls.
Grahn's conceptual and sensory works poetically address social issues, colonialism, and the individual's place within broader cultural contexts. For this exhibition, she has collaborated with Liljevalchs to create several new pieces, described as three-dimensional images unfolding throughout the spaces.
"Stepping into the exhibition will be somewhat like entering my mind, wandering around my thoughts and looking out at the present through my eyes. It's an experience of thirst, desire and hopelessness," Grahn explains.
Born in 1982 in Jåhkåmåhkke (Jokkmokk), Saepmie, Grahn is of Southern Sami descent. Her diverse practice encompasses various media, often interweaving dark humor, popular culture references, and Sami traditions to challenge stereotypes and power structures.
Grahn's work has been exhibited internationally at prestigious venues such as Buffalo AKG in New York, Southbank Centre in London, Onsite Gallery in Toronto and Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe. Her 2020 solo exhibition at Röda Sten in Gothenburg marked a significant milestone in her career, leading to increased international recognition.
Joanna Sandell Wright, curator and artistic director of Liljevalchs, states, "Drick Drick is a major art event in Sweden this spring, offering visitors the chance to engage with one of today's most relevant contemporary oeuvres".
"Drick Drick" will be on display at Liljevalchs+ from March 28 to August 12, 2025, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in Grahn's unique artistic vision and explore the intersection of the mundane and the profound.
Curated by Joanna Sandell Wright
Opening soon!
Helsinki Biennial 2025
On Vallisaari Island, Carola Grahn is taking place with Vearalden Olmai, a five meter tall sculptural work that draws on a pictorial motif found on the drumskin of an ancient Sami drum. Her participation in the biennial also includes Panorama Series – a selection of new abstract textile works from the ongoing Notes on Hide series on view at HAM Helsinki Art Museum.
The theme of the biennial’s third edition, Shelter, takes inspiration from the habitat of Vallisaari Island, which has been preserved from human habitation for decades. The biennial reflects on the fragile relationship between humanity and the natural world. Moving beyond human-centric perspectives, the featured artworks foreground animals, plants, fungi, insects and minerals. The biennial seeks to forge new spaces of protection and inspire positive environmental action.
Helsinki Biennal 2025 brings togehter 37 artists and collectives on Vallisaari Island, in Esplanade Park, and at HAM Helsinki Art Museum.