Matias Faldbakken

creative vandalism

This week’s art post features the work of Matias Faldbakken. Faldbakken’s sculptures/ combines have an absurdity to them, a dark comic theatricality and resonant gestalt. He is represented by Standard Oslo. In addition to his visual art he has written several novels and a collection of short stories.

Matias Faldbakken POE, 2021

“Intervention #21” at Museum Boijmans, Rotterdam

Screen Chair (Tenggren Green), 2017

Fuel Sculpture Green 2017, Fear of Property Installation

Effects of Good Government in the Pit, 2017 Astrup Fearnley Museum Oslo, Norway

THE SHAPE, 2020 Charcoal on paper mounted on plaster, lackered bricks 165.5 x 109 x 45 cm 65 3/16 x 42 15/16 x 17 11/16 inches Drawing: 40.5 x 30 x 2 cm | 16 x 11 6/8...

Never Come Down, 2017. Photo: Christian Øen / Astrup Fearnley Museet.

Untitled (Shine), 2015 Newspaper print on steel 50.3 x 38.1 x 0.3 cm (19 3/4 x 15 x 1/8 in.)

“Faldbakken... (has an) ability to bite his own tail by making works that unite vandalism and creativity, while both celebrating and lamenting the constant commodification of rebellious acts.

More than anyone, he understands that frontal critique only reinforces the classic master-slave dialectic, and that true radicality consists of infiltrating and perverting the system from within. ”

— Sinziana Ravini

Photo credits:

Simon Lee Gallery, London, Hong Kong

Occula, Gallery Chant Grousel, Paris

Renaissance Society, “Fear of Property” Installation, University of Chicago

Mousse Magazine, Museum Boijmans, Rotterdam

kunstkritikk, Nordic Art Review, Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo