an exhibition in Trollskogens natural reserve
summer of 2023
Trollskogen is one of Öland's most visited natural areas with a unique flora and fauna, but here are also remains from times when the north-eastern cape functioned as a ritual place. Burial mounds from prehistoric times tower up, mainly around Hjerteskeppet on the north-western tip of the headland. The location was strategically located for those passing over the sea, both east-west and north-south, with Gotland, Karlsöarna and the mainland as destinations.
The geographical position, the distinctive landscape and the rich historical background give Trollskogen a special density. The intersection between life and death is found both in the ritual monuments and in the cycle of nature, where decomposed matter gives new life. That was the starting point for the exhibition, which consisted mostly of newly produced works.
Participating artists:
Ebba Bohlin
Anna Ridderstad
Sofia Sundberg
Helena Wikestam
Tracy Peters
Frances Scott
Other participants:
Linda Bergman (moderator)
Jan-Henrik Fallgren (interlocutor)
Aron Kullander Östling (design)
Practilcal help:
Sven Larsson
Fredrik Almeby
In collaboration with:
Marie Larsson, Stina Nilsson and Micke Björn at naturum Trollskogen
Back to the exhibition
Past and Presence är ett samarbete mellan konstnärerna Ebba Bohlin och Anna Ridderstad som undersöker landskap, historia och ekologi. Under 2022 och 2023 befann sig Past and Presence på norra Öland, med nedslag i bland annat en övergiven järnåldersby och en rituell plats där himmel och hav möts bakom en avskiljande mur.
Past and Presence is a collaboration between artists Ebba Bohlin and Anna Ridderstad, which investigates landscape, history and ecology. In 2022 and 2023, Past and Presence took place in northern Öland, focusing on an abandoned Iron Age village and a ritual site where sky and sea meet behind a separating wall.