TWO LOCATIONS

a) District Court of Reykjavik, Lækjatorg
b) Sæmundargata by The Nordic House

Ulrika Sparre’s work ALLT ÄR BRA, ALL IS WELL, ALLT Í GÓÐU, made specifically for The Wheel V in Icelandic version, is a statement campaign that appears on the façade of the District Court of Reykjavik at Lækjartorg. The idea is based on the idea of the ancient city guard, also called a town crier. The town crier, who could be a man or a woman, watched the city at night while its inhabitants were asleep. Every hour he rang the bell to announce the time and to inform that all was quiet and peaceful in the city by crying out “all is well”.

All is well explores the idea of collective and individual fears and how media, language and politics influence people to believe that they are in a vulnerable or under threat. We have found ways to suppress our fears and the human brain must constantly be calmed to feel free from hazards. In contemporary society consumption can meet precisely this need. By consuming, you will be accepted by the group, and ultimately ensured your survival. At uncertain times, Ulrika takes on the role of the civil town crier, where she unconditionally submits security and calm.

Ulrika investigates the mechanisms, behaviours and social pattern that constitute our lives. Her practice explores subjects like individuality and the impact of the development towards individualism and consumerism in contemporary society. She is interested in how non-religious and scientific beliefs are expressed in the secularized western society of today. The perception of nature, a higher truth, and spiritual experiences are central themes in her works, evident in I CAN ONLY CHANGE THE WORLD AS LONG AS I’M ALIVE at the Nordic House.

Ulrika Sparre (b. 1974) lives and works in Stockholm, Sweden. She applies her artistic practice to multiple media creating texts, installations, sculpture, photography, film, performance and sound art. In recent years, Sparre has exhibited at Färgfabriken, Reykjavík Art Museum, ARTIPELAG, Varbergs Konsthall, Stene Projects Gallery and Index Foundation. Additionally, she has performed a number of projects in public spaces. She studied at Konstfack (University College of Arts, Craft and Design) in Stockholm and at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam.

ulrikasparre.com