Collection: "More Than Matter" organized by Josefin Lundahl of The Place (online exhibition)

About the Exhibition

It is a rare luxury for us curators to be allowed to go with the flow, following our instincts when selecting the artworks for our exhibitions.

I try to find that intersection between the artist, the work, and the audience, and from there highlight the stories and connections that may not be so obvious. I believe that this can only happen if we allow space for that organic flow.

Unrestricted from the constraints of commerce-driven expression, the art being made at NIAD is both raw and sincere. But despite that liberation, the art is still driven from a place of an urgency to share and be seen. It demands respect, at the same time as it invites.

I approached the opportunity to create an exhibition with NIAD artists in that way: a free flow constellation linked by an organic connection to the work itself, not stuck in anything else besides how it spoke to me and how I wanted to connect back to it.

More Than Matter has a dual meaning; it’s about matter in a physical sense. Meaning something that has mass, and takes up volume.

It’s also referring to what matters, and who matters. The Black Lifes Matter movement use the term matters and are fighting just for that recognition, to “matter”. It’s a loaded word with a strong message, which echoes in and lifts many underrepresented communities.

About the Organizer

Josefin Lundahl is a Swedish curator and art historian with 15 years of experience in the European and American art world and market. After receiving her MA in Art History, while working in the educational sector, she independently ran a gallery project with the mission of providing emerging artists a space to exhibit and help start their careers.

She’s been living in the Bay Area for 7 years, and worked at galleries, in exhibition management at SFMOMA, and more recently as Curator at Creativity Explored. In the summer of 2023, she started the freelancing curatorial project The Place with her partner Ted Barrow.