Sofia Hultén’s work arises from an uninhibited, experimental interrogation of everyday things. The objects from which she departs are acquired second-hand, online or salvaged from the numerous construction and demolition sites scattered around Berlin. They carry traces of their past but also hidden possibilities. They form chapters in a story that Hultén not only tries to bring back to the surface, but also to extend with a sequel. By bypassing our usual patterns of perception, Hultén reveals new dimensions in the everyday items with which she works. At the same time, she sharpens our awareness of just how much our experiences and interpretations, both temporal and spatial, are dependent on the objects that surround us. Many of Hultén’s works are thought-provoking. At the same time, they have a touch of humour that puts them into perspective. They are the fruits of her conviction that art, often better than philosophy or science, can form the bridge between abstract reasoning and aesthetic experience. In this, her works dispense with absolute truths and a deterministic vision of the world – the rule of cause and effect – and plead for a more nuanced and open outlook.
