Fredrik Wretman

Certain works of art have a particular depth, a strange perspective. This makes the surface hard to lo-cate, or entirely absent. Where exactly are we? Is it the surface we see or the depths, and can we be entirely sure of what is in between? Questions concerning vision have followed and haunted Fredrik Wretman over several years. His credo, which he formulated 25 years ago, is “it's all in your head!” This also sums up his perspective! Everything is created in the mysterious folds of the brain.

Vision is probably as unique as the fingerprint. No one is like another. In school we learn that all other animals see different patterns, colours, and relations. We can suppose that all humans see existence differently. We can’t be entirely certain of what we see, or what it means to see. Biology can help us understand, but does not address the fact that we are alone in our seeing. What one sees, the rest can't see. We have to settle with recognising each other’s thoughts and images.

I C 3 D can be seen as a single work – if you like. In the room a colossal foot, caught in the middle of a step, can be seen together with smaller wax- and bronze sculptures, which are also to be found in the slide-show objects. The sizes are turned inside out, as so often with Wretman.

It’s all in your head!

For the exhibition, Fredrik Wretman has made the book I C 3 D, where both images and sections of text have been printed in 3D. These can be viewed through the accompanying 3D glasses. The texts are Wretman’s reflections, memories and dreams from the 40 years he has been an artist. The book is presented in its own section of the exhibition.

Another dimension that can be enjoyed is Wretman’s own tea, grown in the northern mountains of Thailand and blended especially for this exhibition. It has the descriptive name “I C 3 D T”.

Fredrik Wretman (b 1953, lives and works in Stockholm) is educated at the Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm where he has also worked as acting professor. Wretman is represented at Moderna Museet and the Public Art Agency, Sweden. He has done several public installations, including BODHI (2004) installed in Viskan in central Borås, Budbäraren (The Messenger) (2014) in Kristianstad and 0 + 0 = 8 (2007) in Halmstad. Selected exhibitions: Borealis 4, Louisiana (1989), American Floors, Moderna Museet (1991), Looking for Alice Fine, Färgfabriken (2006) and Monogram, Kummelholmen (2016).

^{Photo: Anders Bergön}