The Atlas of Death by Olle Essvik
In a number of works of art, the visual artist Olle Essvik has taken an interest in insects, bookworms that eat books, electronics as anatomy, and robots whose actions in a way resemble the apparently primitive abilities of insects. The performance The Atlas of Death has its starting point in two works of art, Eaten Books and Atlas of Ainsects. In the artworks, Essvik is interested in insect anatomy and insects as symbols of decay, survival, extinction, death, and post humanity. The performance is about Essvik’s work with insects and coding and is based on a reading from within the computer program, Eaten Books. A performance where the software is letting insects erase the text.
Essvik will also lecture at the seminar Future Revisited, which will take place on Saturday 4 November 2023 at ARoS Museum. For further information on the seminar – please see the tentative festival programme.
Olle Essvik
Olle Essvik is an artist, publisher and senior lecturer working and living in Gothenburg. Essvik works with themes relating to the digital as well as to technology in a human context, touching on notions of everyday life, repetition, and time. The outcome of his art practice could be a book, a publication, or a photo, in which traditional materials and techniques like bookbinding converge with programming and code. Essvik has exhibited in national and international museums and has lectured and conducted workshops and performances at various institutions. He runs an experimental publishing house rojal.
