Michael Johansson: Real Life Tetris, Public Art & Forgetting to Eat
Episode 47
Anastasia Parmson, Michael Johansson
8/11/20262 min read
Leave a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/installationartpodcast
Michael Johansson is a Swedish installation artist based in Malmö, known for precisely assembled sculptures and installations made from ready-made objects that he describes as ‘real life Tetris’. His work has been shown across Europe, Asia and beyond, and ranges from ephemeral site-specific installations to large-scale permanent public commissions cast in bronze.
What we cover:
• The art school realisation: being technically skilled at drawing is not the same as knowing what kind of art you want to make
• Sourcing from flea markets and secondhand stores
• Institutional installations made entirely from objects borrowed from a museum's own back rooms and storage
• Residencies for installation artists and the newer model he thinks would work much better
• The Taiwan passport disaster: two days to install a large site-specific work and why it turned out almost too good to be true
• Time as the greatest challenge: procrastinating until the last possible moment and forgetting to eat
• Moving a whole city: why an entire Swedish town is being relocated and how his new project is linked
09:00 Growing Up and Early Making
10:42 Finding Artistic Direction
13:15 Into Installations and Public Art
15:37 First Breakthrough Opportunities
18:08 Ready-Made Process Rules
20:42 Sourcing and Colour Logic
36:32 Fabricators and Collaborations
40:00 Residencies Reality Check
43:59 Taipei Install Panic
46:52 Afterlife of Installations
53:37 Work Life Balance Reset
01:00:02 Hard Truths and Highlights
01:07:16 Advice and Dream Projects
Michael Johansson is based in Malmö, Sweden. You can find out more about his work on his website: https://www.michaeljohansson.com/ and follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeljohansson/
Michael works with several international galleries:
Aeroplastics in Belgium: https://www.aeroplastics.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/aeroplastics_gallery/
Helsinki Contemporary in Finland: https://helsinkicontemporary.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/helsinkicontemporary/
GSA Gallery in Sweden: https://gsa.se/ | https://www.instagram.com/gsagallerystockholm/ | @gsagallery1690
Galleri Arnstedt Östra Karup in Sweden: https://www.galleriarnstedt.se/ | https://www.instagram.com/galleriarnstedt/
Galerie Ramakers in the Netherlands: https://www.galerieramakers.nl/ | https://www.instagram.com/galerieramakers2
Galeria Enrique Guerrero in Mexico: https://www.galeriaenriqueguerrero.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/galeriaenriqueguerrero/
Massimo Carasi – The Flat: https://www.carasi.it/ | https://www.instagram.com/theflat_massimocarasi
Galerie Hartwich in Germany: https://www.galerie-hartwich.de/ | https://www.instagram.com/galeriehartwich
44309//Gallery in Germany: https://44309gallery.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/44309gallery/
Galleri Christoffer Egelund in Denmark: https://christofferegelund.dk/ | https://www.instagram.com/gallerichristofferegelund/
Also mentioned in this episode:
Club Mate: https://www.club-mate.de/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/clubmate_original/
Lego: https://www.lego.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/lego | @LEGO
Airfix: https://uk.airfix.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/officialairfix/ | @OfficialAirfix
Preview Berlin: https://www.previewberlin.de/
Skog Art Space: https://skogart.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/skogartspace/
