This work started with a rumor - that a factory of photographic materials in Germany released such amounts of chemicals into a lake that one could develop photographs directly in it.
For this reason it is referred to as Silbersee, German for Silver Lake.
The name, Silbersee, is an unofficial pet name given to a reservoir near the Wolfen Filmfabrik. It derives from the fact that silver compounds are used in photochemistry and darkroom materials.
However, there is neither silver in this body of water nor is it a lake, but rather an abandoned lignite mine - Grube Johannes, a remaining hollow of the opencast mine south of Wolfen into which wastewater from the Wolfen film factory was discharged. Mining pits like this were perfect for the toxic residues from industrial production.
A close and convenient disposal option for unwanted byproducts from the manufacturing of photographic materials.

In this project we use photography, video and graphite drawing. The interplay of these mediums raise thoughts about the properties of photography, such as the moment a picture is taken in relation to the time it takes to draw, the mechanical versus the handmade, the unpredictability of the aged photographic material in relation to conscious decisions in drawing, the precision in factory production versus the unpredictability and consequences of emissions in the area.

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Bio

 

Weronika Bela and Ivar Hagren, an artist duo based in Stockholm.

We work primarily with analog black and white photography, both practically and conceptually. In the darkroom we apply both traditional and experimental photographic techniques. We often apply interdisciplinary methods from other fields to our work which primarily deals with the history of photography, rumors, ideas and phenomenons.
While our primary medium is photography, we also implement various artistic techniques and mediums in our practice such as graphite drawing, installation, text and video.
Outside of our own artistic practice, we are members of the artist run platform and gallery ID:I, which has an exhibition space in central Stockholm where we have organized several group projects and exhibitions, both in Stockholm and internationally, such as Finland and Greece. In 2022 we were IASPIS studio grant holders for 6 months in Stockholm.
During 2024 we are part of the Futures Photography platform and recipients of the Hasselblad nature photography grant.
 

 

 

 

CV

 

Ivar Hagren & Weronika Bela

Contact: hagrenbela@gmail.com
 

 

Education (Weronika Bela, born 1988, Baerum, Norway)

2013-2015 Master of Fine Art, Konstfack
2010-2013 Bachelor of Fine Art, Konstfack
2008-2010 Konstlinjen, Konstskolan i Gävle
 

 

Education (Ivar Hagren, born 1986, Stockholm, Sweden)
2012-2014 Master of Fine Art, Konstfack University Collage of Arts, Craft and Design, Stockholm 2009-2012 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography, School of Photography, Gothenburg University 2007-2009 Gamleby Photography School, commercial and editorial photography
2006-2007 Gotlands Folkhögskola, Fotolinjen, Hemse
 

 

Solo exhibitions
2024 Behind the Silver Veil, Galleri ID:I
2022 Meteorologicznie Prywatne, Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej, Przemyśl, Poland 2022 Mellan himmel och jord, Galleri ID:I, Stockholm
2021 Ett sparsamt beräknat ljus, Galleri Norberg
2019 Cloud Studies, Galleri ID:I, Stockholm
2019 Collecting/Transmitting, Galeria 81 stopni, Warszawa
2018 Silver Clouds, Projekt Bastugatan, Stockholm
2016 Glöm mig inte, Konstcentrum, Gävle
2015 Shifting Recollections, Vita havet, Konstfack
2013 Once the search is in progress, something will be found, Galleri Konstfack 2012 Kometer, meteorer, rymden och universum, Idka Kulturkiosken
2010 Arkivet, Tallbo Ecke Hedbergs Konstnärshem
 

 

Group exhibitions
2024 Vi har aldrig varit en, Kappellet, Staffansbo
2023 Vi som var Lars Palm, Galleri Lars Palm, Gävle
2023 ID:I:TOPI, Galleri Molekyl, Malmö
2023 Artaround group show, Gallerian, Stockholm
2023 Stuff it, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm
2022 Uppländsk Salong/Sticklingar, Uppsala Konstmuseum 2022 Boundless Borders, Metaphor Gallery, Athens
2022 IDÉ:IDAG, SKF/Konstnärshuset, Stockholm
2022 The Future as Negative Spaces, Galleri ID:I, Stockholm 2021 Xenization, Galleri Muuntotila, Tammerfors, Finland 2020 Platforms Project, Athens, Greece
2019 Liminal Spaces, Årstaberg Konsthall, Stockholm
2019 In-Mid Air, Bångska våningen, Stockholm
2018 Arkivet för temporär konst, Stockholm
2018 Ung Salong, Uppsala Konstnärsklubb, Uppsala
2015 Konstfacks vårutställning, Konstfack, Stockholm
2014 Under Construction, Platform, Stockholm
2013 Konstfacks Vårutställning; Konstfack, Stockholm 2012 Fractional Crystallization, Galleri Leveau, Stockholm 2011 Samlingsutställning, Idka Kulturkiosken, Gävle
2011 Årsutställning, Konstfack, Stockholm
2010 Trampolin, Gävle Konstcentrum, Gävle
2010 REvision - video screening, Idka Kulturkiosken, Gävle 2010 Teckning 2010, Sandvikens konsthall
2009 Teckning 2009, Sandvikens konsthall
2009 Teckningar och collage, Galleri Lars Palm, Sandviken
Publications
2024 The SIlver Lake, self published
2022 Himmel över Wolfen, Text by Timo Menke, VERK Tidskrift ( https://www.verktidskrift.se/himmel-ver- wolfen-timo-menke )
2022 ID:I 2002-2022
2019 Jaka bedzie pogoda? (vad blir det för väder?), self published
 

 

Collections
Region Gävleborg
IASPIS Archive
Instytucja Kultury Województwa Podkarpackiego Apotekets konstförening
Private collections
 

 

Grants/residencies
2024 I resonans med landskapet, residency, region Gävleborg 2024 Hasselblad nature photography grant
2024 2 year working grant, Swedish Arts Grants Committee 2023 Studio grant, Stockholm stad
2022 Iaspis international culture exchange
2022 IASPIS Studio Grant, Residency, Stockholm
2021 Helge Ax:sson Johnssons foundation
2020 2 year working grant, Swedish Arts Grants Committee
2019 Travel grant, Swedish Arts Grants Committee
2019 Travel grant, Helge Ax:son Johnssons foundation
2018 Working grant, Swedish Arts Grants Committee
2016 Resestipendium, Konstnärsnämnden
2016 Assistant grant, Swedish Arts Grants Committee
2010 Karin och Erik Engmans stipendium, Gävle
2009 Ecke Hedberg-stipendiet, utsett av Konstskolan i Gävle
 

 

Lectures / Artist Talks
2024 Artist talk, Ecke Hedbergs konstnärshem och museum, Tallbo
2023 Artaround artist talk, Gallerian Stockholm
2022 IASPIS Open Studios, in conversation with Yuvinka Medina
2022 Artist Talk, Iaspis Konstnärsnämnden
2021 Supermarket Art Fair, Stockholm
2018 Fotografins roll i meteorologins historia, seminarium, Uppsala Universitet, institutionen för idéhistoria 2018 Föreläsning, Konstskolan i Gävle

 

Members of artist-run Galleri ID:I