September 20, 2008

Olof Olsson (SE/DK)

Copenhagen based artist Olof Olsson brought his own blanket, matching his scarves, in order to put a personal touch on the room while staying at Creators Inn by Elvine. Olof was in Gothenburg giving a beloved 6 minute and 40 second speech at Pecha Kucha GBG where he talked about some of his solo projects, along with some Esperanto projects he had done together with Daniel Salomon under the name La Loko.

Olof, the Gothenburg crowd really loved your speech at Pecha Kucha GBG. How was the performance from your point of view? What I found most interesting was the time aspect of it. As I remember it, I was on just before the break, so I had watched some of the other guys. And I got a sense of how long a 6 minute 40 second presentation is. But when you are on stage yourself, those 6 minutes and 40 seconds are something completely different. One could say that the time passes much faster, but that does not completely capture how it feels. It is more like being in another kind of time. Like swimming is different from walking.

How was club Nefertiti?
I like the venue very much. The club can house quite a lot of people, but atmosphere is very intimate. There is a very good connection between the stage and the audience.

You have done several conceptual projects somewhat similar to Creators Inn by Elvine – how is this in comparison to what you’ve been invloved in before and how do you think the project can be improved? Creators Inn is playing with fiction and reality in a way I often also do. On the one hand it’s a fictive hotel. On the other hand it’s a real hotel. And the realism and the fiction and the reality of the fiction drift in an out of eachother in a very fun and thought provoking way. I very much enjoyed my stay, and I loved the spectacular view. The only thing I missed was the possibility to make a cup of coffe in the morning.

You always bring your own blanket when you are out traveling, how come?
It’s a practical thing to have, if I for instance want to take a nap on the train. And it also gives a sense of being at home, wherever you are. The last two years I have moved around between different places in Denmark, Germany, and Sweden. And apart from that, I have travelled a lot. Bringing the blanket along gives a sense of continuation.

Any other interesting projects lined up, or any other closing thoughts?
Right now I am working on a project for an exhibition in New Zealand called Mash Up.