Massor av silver (Lots of silver)
Photo: Werner Nystrand
Artist: Thomas Hämén
Year of creation: 2021
Placement: Munksjökajen quay, Jönköping
Technique and material: Sculpture – steel, chromed aluminium, fibreglass reinforced polyester
Massor av silver (Lots of silver) is a two-part sculpture that draws a link between the historical industry around Lake Munksjön and its marine life. The sculptures depict crustaceans, or ‘ice sea relics’, which were left behind when Lake Vättern was separated from the sea by land elevation. Their habitat has been drastically altered by the pollution that followed the establishment of industry near the lake.
The title is inspired by the polluted lake bed, from which lumps of cellulose pulp with a high mercury content sometimes float to the surface. This phenomenon inspired the first part of the work, but mercury also appears in the large TV jug. It is based on Carl-Arne Berger’s ‘Signature’ from 1962, which was made in the area, partly from glass coated in mercury nitrate.
Thomas Hämén (b. 1987) is an artist from Luleå, educated at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm (2014). He is interested in ecology and technology and sometimes creates works with humorous elements.
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