Gustav Hellberg at Galleri Andersson/Sandström Stockholm 9/10-5/11 2008

"Privileged Situation – Utopian Vision" is an interactive light installation. In Gustav Hellberg’s installation, the visitor moves around in a forest of invisible, vertical sensor beams. A sensor detects objects and lights a spotlight, which shines with a thin ray of light on the object. As a visitor, wherever you move in the installation you are always in a lit area – you are followed by light. However, you are all the time surrounded by darkness.

The title of the work refers to the visitor’s situation inside the installation – the lit visitor has a privileged light situation. For mankind light means the possibility to see and judge the surrounding, it creates feelings of security and certainty. Light is the creator of civilization and with its help mankind keeps on struggling towards a utopian society.

But light is always, sooner or later, delimited by darkness. In Gustav Hellberg’s installation, the visitor’s notion of space is limited and navigating becomes difficult. Despite – or maybe because of – the privileged light situation.

Gustav Hellberg, born 1967, was educated at the Royal University College of Fine Arts in Stockholm. He now lives and works in Berlin since several years. The main focus of his art is the public sphere and his artwork has been on display in public places around Europe and in the US.

More about Gustav Hellberg on www.gustavhellberg.com