”The Human Animal Connection” is a collaboration between Maria Magnusson, Karin Johansson and Leslie Robertson. It’s a photographic and cinematic project based from a human and animal relation perspective. In the exhibition, Maria Magnusson has chosen to work with a personal archive material, old family albums including her mother's and father's albums when they were young, and from her own childhood in the 70s when her parents moved to Norra Björke and ran a farm and where she herself grew up. In the archive material, she finds a forgotten treasure with various expected and unexpected connections created between humans and animals. And thoughts about how the rural environment shapes one's personality when growing up. This photo serie is called “The Loved Ones”. “The Innocent Savage.” The Innocent Savage / De oskyldiga vilda.The film is shoot at wildlife specialists Mike and Mary Maki in Thousand Oaks and at Wolf Mountain Sanctuary, Lucern California in 2021 and 2022. The animals are named and in following order: Sherman, Madge, Marley, Genesis and Holan. Sound collage by Maria Magnusson from excerpts from Daphne Oram.
In the series "Hidden Mother / Hidden Father", Karin Johansson and Leslie Robertson are inspired by "Hidden Mothers", a portrait genre that was common during the Victorian era, when children were photographed in the studio with their mothers present, but who were also hidden in the picture. . The "Hidden Mothers" genre is interesting as it raises questions about the role of women in society during this time. The project is supported by Konstnärsnämnden. Photos from exhibition: Jakob Sjöstedt
