Andria Nyberg Forshage

When Gläntan, Gothenburgs LGBTQI+ monument by artist Conny Karlsson Lundgren, was inaugurated at Esperantoplatsen in 2023, it marked the culmination of a multi-year process in which art, research, and participation came together. The monument makes visible the struggle for LGBTQI+ rights while reflecting the citys transformation throughout history and into the future. This book tells the story of the journey from concept to realization. Through photographs, archival materials, documentation, and reflective texts, readers are invited to follow the art project through the workshops, conversations, and collaborations that shaped both the monument and its broader context. The book also offers perspectives on Gläntans continuing role as a place of memory, encounters, and future narratives. Artists participating in the preliminary study included, among others, Sam Hultin, Marie Falksten, Leif Holmstrand, Kolbeinn Karlsson, Axel A. Karlsson Rixon, Anna Linder, and Rudy Loewe. The essays are written by Rebecka Katz Thor, Patrik Steorn, and Andria Nyberg Forshage.

Begär, lust, intimitet och motstånd utgör teman i Conny Karlsson Lundgrens konstnärskap. I över 20 år har han, ofta med utgångspunkt i arkivens dolda mikrohistorier, varsamt lyft fram perspektiv på queera erfarenheter och svensk böghistoria. Temporära platser såsom parken, nattklubben, sommarlägret, eller sovrummet utgör ofta spelplats för undersökningarna. I möjligheterna som uppstår inom verkens ramar synliggörs politiska och juridiska strukturer, jämsides med relationer, stunder av extas och personlig frigörelse. Publicerad i samarbete med Bonniers Konsthall i samband med utställningen Jag kysser dina ögon (14 februari 7 april 2024). Boken är producerad av Bonniers Konsthall och distribueras av Art & Theory Publishing. Desire, lust, intimacy, and resistance are reoccurring themes in Karlsson Lundgren's practice. For more than 20 years, often with a starting point in the hidden micro-histories of the archive, he has gently let surface perspectives on queer experiences and Swedish gay history. Shared and temporary spaces such as the park, the night club, the bedroom or the work of activism often set the stage for his investigations. Within the parameters set up by the works, political and juridical structures are made visible, while often intertwined with moments of ecstasy, community, or liberation. Published in collaboration with Bonniers Konsthall in conjunction with the exhibition I Kiss Your Eyes (14 February 7 April 2024). The book is produced by Bonniers Konsthall and distributed by Art & Theory Publishing.