hug
hug (2019)
photography, 70 cm x 100 cm
FineArt print
Photo in collaboration with Axel Öberg
Hug, a non-verbal and universal form of communication, springs from Old Norse hugga, meaning to comfort, as well as from German hegen, meaning to cherish. In Nordic mythology, a hug also refers to something alike a spirit or a soul; the very essence of a being that can be separated from the body and returned, and the hug can be manifested in various magical, embodied forms. Hugging a tree has furthermore been scientifically proven to affect biological behaviours in the body, when the vibrations of the water pulsating below the bark not only calms you down but also affects your concentration, and ability to react. Other, more spiritual sources consider the trees to be in perpetual meditation. Constantly still, rooted deeply in the soil, with their long arms sprawling up against the blue.
hug was made in collaboration with a group of pupils from Storå skola in Bergslagen, Sweden, and the photographer Axel Öberg. The work was made possible by the support of Konstfrämjandet Bergslagen, Lindesbergs kommun, Region Örebro Län, Kulturrådet, Storå skola, Stripa Grufpensionat, and Stripabryggeriet. It has been exhibited at Stripa Gallerirum in Guldsmedshyttan, Sweden.
photography, 70 cm x 100 cm
FineArt print
Photo in collaboration with Axel Öberg
Hug, a non-verbal and universal form of communication, springs from Old Norse hugga, meaning to comfort, as well as from German hegen, meaning to cherish. In Nordic mythology, a hug also refers to something alike a spirit or a soul; the very essence of a being that can be separated from the body and returned, and the hug can be manifested in various magical, embodied forms. Hugging a tree has furthermore been scientifically proven to affect biological behaviours in the body, when the vibrations of the water pulsating below the bark not only calms you down but also affects your concentration, and ability to react. Other, more spiritual sources consider the trees to be in perpetual meditation. Constantly still, rooted deeply in the soil, with their long arms sprawling up against the blue.
hug was made in collaboration with a group of pupils from Storå skola in Bergslagen, Sweden, and the photographer Axel Öberg. The work was made possible by the support of Konstfrämjandet Bergslagen, Lindesbergs kommun, Region Örebro Län, Kulturrådet, Storå skola, Stripa Grufpensionat, and Stripabryggeriet. It has been exhibited at Stripa Gallerirum in Guldsmedshyttan, Sweden.