Having grown up in self-proclaimed utopia of the Swedish welfare state in its prime and with a family history of mental illness and suicide, Mattias Härenstams work often deals with the conflict between the polished surface of society and what is hidden beneath it. His practise span over a wide range of different art forms including film, sculpture, installation, printmaking and more. Regardless of material or media, there is a recurrent theme of desire for control and an interest in the situation when it crumbles. Beyond it is the fear of failure and the subsequent fall into some undefined abyss. This "keeping of up appearances at any cost" and the actual cost of doing just that. To me that is not just a psychological or existential state, but just as much a political condition (Mattias Härenstam). It is a personal narrative dealing with issues of control / loss of control and the fear of weakness and failure, especially in relation to a shifting male role model. In his sculptural work he uses classic materials such as stone, wood and bronze but seeks to undermine or subvert them. The once strong, powerful and eternal materials appear as fragile, soft and transitional.
Born 1971 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Lives and works in Oslo, Norway.
Educated
at the National Academy of Fine Arts, Bergen, Norway and Staatliche Hochschule für bildende Künste Städelschule, Frankfurt am Main (prof. Herman Nitsch).
mattiasharenstam.com
Selected solo exhibitions
2016
Secrets, Weaknesses, Lies, The Vigeland Museum, Oslo
Branching (with Lars Hertervig), Stavanger Art Museum, Norway
Later that night, Konstepidemin, Gothenburg
2015
Mattias Härenstam, Nils Aas Art Centre, Inderøy, Norway
Mattias Härenstam / Kristine Halmrast, Oppland Art Centre, Lillehammer, Norway
2014
Mattias Härenstam, Art-Claims-Impulse Contemporary Fine Arts, Berlin
Sketches for a re-animation, Konstnärshuset, Stockholm
Reconstruction, Norske Grafikere, Oslo
Sketches for a re-animation, Østfold Art Centre, Fredrikstad, Norway
2013
Temporary Disruption, Luleå Konsthall, Sweden
In the Middle of Sweden, Galleri Rostrum, Malmö, Sweden
Closed Circuit (In the Middle of Sweden), Trafo Kunsthall, Norway
2012
Fear of Failure, Tromsø Fine Art Society, Norway
I know you are there, Kunstnerforbundet, Oslo
28 February 1986, Galleri 54, Gothenburg
2011
28 February 1986, Akershus Art Centre, Norway
Drawing Circles (…the distance is always the same), Tidens krav, Oslo
2009
The Diary of the Unknown Consumer, Skånes Konstförening, Malmö
2008
The Diary of the Unknown Consumer, UKS, Oslo
Selected group exhibitions / festivals
2017
KINO DER KUNST, München / Neues Museum, Nürnberg
Exitus, Galleri F 15, Moss, Norway
Forest in Norway, Hubei Art Museum, China
2015
Impressions. Five centuries of woodcuts, The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo
Exitus, Galerie am Körnerpark, Berlin
Tomrom, Sandefjord and Larvik Fine Art Societies, Norway
Spring depot, Tenthaus, Oslo
2014
Artists Film International, Whitechapel Gallery, London
Letter from Mr. Faustus / Back to Berlin, Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Israel
The Pleasure of negative emotions, KNIPSU, Bergen
FEC European Short Film Festival, Reus, Spain
Brüch Stücke, Theater im Palais / Art-Claims-Impulse, Berlin
Moviebox, Hydrogenfabrikken Kunsthall, Fredrikstad, Norway
Prints, Buskerud Art Centre, Drammen, Norway
Minimalen Short Film Festival, Trondheim, Norway
2013
Norwegian Sculpture Biennale, The Vigeland Museum, Oslo
Audiovisioni Digitali, Museo D’Arte Contemporanea Roma, Rome
between appropriation and interventions, Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien, Berlin
Video Art & Experimental Film Festival, Tribeca Cinemas, New York
Göteborg International Film Festival, Gothenburg
Jeonju International Film Festival, South Korea
Norwegian Short Film Festival, Grimstad
Spring Exhibition, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen
The Annual National Exhibition of the Visual Arts, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo
Umeå International Short Film Festival, Sweden.
Portrait in the moving image, IKFU, Jönköpings Läns Museum, Sweden
Trä / Wood 2013, Virserums Konsthall, Sweden.
2012
Videoholica, SAMCA - Museum for Contemporary Art, Sofia
Screengrab, New Media Arts Award, Townsville, Australia
Kort, KinoKino, Sandnes
Videosincracy, Galleria Limiti Inchiusi Arte Contemporanea, Campobasso, Italy
Videoguerrilha, São Paolo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia.
Kuala Lumpur Experimental Film Festival, Malaysia
The Annual National Exhibition of the Visual Arts, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo
The 25th Festival Les Instants Vidéo, Marseille
Festival Miden, Kalamata, Greece
L’Oeil d’Oodaaq, Rennes
Oslo Screen Festival, Oslo
CologneOFF (touring videofestival)
2011
InsideOut Step2 - Latest trends in Western Videoart, White Box Museum of Art, Beijing
OK Video FLESH, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta
Arte Video Roma Festival, Rome
The 24th Festival Les Instants Vidéo, Marseille and Paris.
Vårutstillingen, Fotogalleriet, Oslo
between appropriation and interventions, Christianssands Kunstforening, Norway
That’s entertainment!, The Norwegian Short Film Festival in Grimstad
NewScreen NewCastle, Newcastle
Videoholica, Varna, Bulgaria
21st International Videofestival, Bochum
Art:Screen at Beaconsfield, London and the International Film Festival, Rotterdam.
Flaggfabrikken presenterer Nordic Art Express, touring videoscreening
2010
Spring Exhibition, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen
Art Kino # 7, Rio, Stockholm
Invisible Violence, FestArte, MACRO, Rome.
The Annual National Exhibition of the Visual Arts, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo
II Baltic Biennale of Contemporary Art, Derzhavin Museum, St Petersburg
2009
NOMAD, Brügge, Belgium
Naturally, Bergen Museum of Natural History
Beyond existence – Do not avoid the void, Cordy House, London
Affluenza, Clerkenwell, London
Public collections
The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo
Oslo Municipal Art Collection
Arts Council, Norway
The Royal Norwegian Foreign Department
Luleå Municipal Art Collection, Sweden
Grants / awards
Lifetime working grant, Norwegian Government, 2010
Nominated for the Lorck Schive Art Prize, 2017
Nominated for the Norwegian Film Award, the Amanda, in the category for Best Short
Film, 2013
Mattias Härenstam
Born 1971 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Lives and works in Oslo, Norway. Educated at the National Academy of Fine Arts, Bergen, Norway and Staatliche Hochschule für bildende Künste Städelschule, Frankfurt am Main (prof. Herman Nitsch).mattiasharenstam.comSelected solo exhibitions 2016 Secrets, Weaknesses, Lies, The Vigeland Museum, Oslo Branching (with Lars Hertervig), Stavanger Art Museum, Norway Later that night, Konstepidemin, Gothenburg 2015 Mattias Härenstam, Nils Aas Art Centre, Inderøy, Norway Mattias Härenstam / Kristine Halmrast, Oppland Art Centre, Lillehammer, Norway 2014 Mattias Härenstam, Art-Claims-Impulse Contemporary Fine Arts, Berlin Sketches for a re-animation, Konstnärshuset, Stockholm Reconstruction, Norske Grafikere, Oslo Sketches for a re-animation, Østfold Art Centre, Fredrikstad, Norway 2013 Temporary Disruption, Luleå Konsthall, Sweden In the Middle of Sweden, Galleri Rostrum, Malmö, Sweden Closed Circuit (In the Middle of Sweden), Trafo Kunsthall, Norway 2012 Fear of Failure, Tromsø Fine Art Society, Norway I know you are there, Kunstnerforbundet, Oslo 28 February 1986, Galleri 54, Gothenburg 2011 28 February 1986, Akershus Art Centre, Norway Drawing Circles (…the distance is always the same), Tidens krav, Oslo 2009 The Diary of the Unknown Consumer, Skånes Konstförening, Malmö 2008 The Diary of the Unknown Consumer, UKS, Oslo Selected group exhibitions / festivals 2017 KINO DER KUNST, München / Neues Museum, Nürnberg Exitus, Galleri F 15, Moss, Norway Forest in Norway, Hubei Art Museum, China 2015 Impressions. Five centuries of woodcuts, The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo Exitus, Galerie am Körnerpark, Berlin Tomrom, Sandefjord and Larvik Fine Art Societies, Norway Spring depot, Tenthaus, Oslo 2014 Artists Film International, Whitechapel Gallery, London Letter from Mr. Faustus / Back to Berlin, Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Israel The Pleasure of negative emotions, KNIPSU, Bergen FEC European Short Film Festival, Reus, Spain Brüch Stücke, Theater im Palais / Art-Claims-Impulse, Berlin Moviebox, Hydrogenfabrikken Kunsthall, Fredrikstad, Norway Prints, Buskerud Art Centre, Drammen, Norway Minimalen Short Film Festival, Trondheim, Norway 2013 Norwegian Sculpture Biennale, The Vigeland Museum, Oslo Audiovisioni Digitali, Museo D’Arte Contemporanea Roma, Rome between appropriation and interventions, Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien, Berlin Video Art & Experimental Film Festival, Tribeca Cinemas, New York Göteborg International Film Festival, Gothenburg Jeonju International Film Festival, South Korea Norwegian Short Film Festival, Grimstad Spring Exhibition, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen The Annual National Exhibition of the Visual Arts, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo Umeå International Short Film Festival, Sweden. Portrait in the moving image, IKFU, Jönköpings Läns Museum, Sweden Trä / Wood 2013, Virserums Konsthall, Sweden. 2012 Videoholica, SAMCA - Museum for Contemporary Art, Sofia Screengrab, New Media Arts Award, Townsville, Australia Kort, KinoKino, Sandnes Videosincracy, Galleria Limiti Inchiusi Arte Contemporanea, Campobasso, Italy Videoguerrilha, São Paolo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia. Kuala Lumpur Experimental Film Festival, Malaysia The Annual National Exhibition of the Visual Arts, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo The 25th Festival Les Instants Vidéo, Marseille Festival Miden, Kalamata, Greece L’Oeil d’Oodaaq, Rennes Oslo Screen Festival, Oslo CologneOFF (touring videofestival) 2011 InsideOut Step2 - Latest trends in Western Videoart, White Box Museum of Art, Beijing OK Video FLESH, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta Arte Video Roma Festival, Rome The 24th Festival Les Instants Vidéo, Marseille and Paris. Vårutstillingen, Fotogalleriet, Oslo between appropriation and interventions, Christianssands Kunstforening, Norway That’s entertainment!, The Norwegian Short Film Festival in Grimstad NewScreen NewCastle, Newcastle Videoholica, Varna, Bulgaria 21st International Videofestival, Bochum Art:Screen at Beaconsfield, London and the International Film Festival, Rotterdam. Flaggfabrikken presenterer Nordic Art Express, touring videoscreening 2010 Spring Exhibition, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen Art Kino # 7, Rio, Stockholm Invisible Violence, FestArte, MACRO, Rome. The Annual National Exhibition of the Visual Arts, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo II Baltic Biennale of Contemporary Art, Derzhavin Museum, St Petersburg 2009 NOMAD, Brügge, Belgium Naturally, Bergen Museum of Natural History Beyond existence – Do not avoid the void, Cordy House, London Affluenza, Clerkenwell, London Public collections The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo Oslo Municipal Art Collection Arts Council, Norway The Royal Norwegian Foreign Department Luleå Municipal Art Collection, Sweden Grants / awards Lifetime working grant, Norwegian Government, 2010 Nominated for the Lorck Schive Art Prize, 2017 Nominated for the Norwegian Film Award, the Amanda, in the category for Best Short Film, 2013