Galleri Andersson/Sandström

Galleri Andersson/Sandström is where the first leg of the touring exhibition will take place. The gallery is located just outside Umeå, in Umedalen, an area that used to be a sanatorium - the gallery itself functioned as the compound's boiler room.

Matt initially approached Andersson/Sandström with the proposal for Removed from the Eyes of Strangers as Umedalen's history seemed to perfectly fit the subject at the core of the exhibition. Context aside, the gallery itself is a beautiful but dominating white space, which makes for a stark contrast with some of the sculptures in the exhibition, most of which are small domestic objects that have been altered in some way, whilst retaining their original size and shape.

Galleri Andersson/Sandström is the second most Northern gallery in the world, and during our stay the weather has been consistently below freezing! Umedalen also boasts Europe's only cultural spa, where visitors are encouraged to view artwork whilst exercising, rather than watching a television. I'm sure this is one of the reasons that Umeå has recently been selected as European Capital of Culture for 2014.

The surrounding forest is home to several sculptures, which were initially displayed in the sculpture park but are now a permanent feature after being purchased by Baltic Gruppen, the real estate company that owns the buildings in Umedalen. Many of the artworks are hidden away, and are left undiscovered until you revisit the area for a second or third time. I took a (cold) walk around the area with Matt Lippiatt yesterday morning and we photographed some of the sculptures we came across on our way.

 Winter & Hörbelt, Kastenhaus 1166.14 (2000)

Kaarina Kaikkonen, A Path (2004)

Antony Gormley, Another Time VIII (2007)

 

 Miroslaw Balka, 30x60x10, 250x1958x795, 30x60x10, 250x521x174 (1996)

All images courtesy of Galleri Andersson/Sandström.