Detroit Stockholm
Artist-Run Collective Gallery & Studios
Roslagsgatan 21, 11355 Stockholm, Sweden
Stephanie Hargrave – exhibiting artist
Exhibition: October 15 – 22, 2026
OPENING October 15, 2026 at 5 pm
ARTIST TALK OCTOBER 17, 2026 at 1 pm
SIMULTANEOCITY is a (non)word I’m using to signify the current state of things. It sums up the feeling many of us have as we navigate the layered multitudes of contemporary life. As an artist practicing in the US, the uptick in complexity over the past 8 or so years has been visceral. Layers of difficulty that once posed a fun challenge now feel oppressive. There doesn’t seem to be any separation between tasks anymore – it is all wars and politics on top of traffic on top of rushing to make ends meet on top of struggling to make time to make art with a large dose of uncertainty, whether in regard to the rapid rise of AI or the myriad details needing attention daily. The world is getting faster and busier, but it is not getting any clearer, any easier, and it is certainly not getting any calmer. It feels denser, and that feeling of density is longing for some breathing room.
This zeitgeist began seeping into my work just as I began using paper about a year ago (so I could transport the work to Stockholm). I found myself working additively and abandoning my preferred minimalism. The pieces became layered collages with a long list of materials – matt-board, drawings, prints, ink on Yupo paper, coffee filters, book pages, paint, photographs, charcoal, pencil, graphite, walnut ink, thread, crayon, encaustic, micron pen, linen-paper, India ink, Silverpoint. Despite the long list, each piece strives for balance. Receded areas do not disappear completely so-as to keep the complexity; my attempt at both acknowledging and blatantly disregarding that which is hectic, overwhelming and chaotic.
Artist-Run Collective Gallery & Studios
Roslagsgatan 21, 11355 Stockholm, Sweden
Stephanie Hargrave – exhibiting artist
Exhibition: October 15 – 22, 2026
OPENING October 15, 2026 at 5 pm
ARTIST TALK OCTOBER 17, 2026 at 1 pm
SIMULTANEOCITY is a (non)word I’m using to signify the current state of things. It sums up the feeling many of us have as we navigate the layered multitudes of contemporary life. As an artist practicing in the US, the uptick in complexity over the past 8 or so years has been visceral. Layers of difficulty that once posed a fun challenge now feel oppressive. There doesn’t seem to be any separation between tasks anymore – it is all wars and politics on top of traffic on top of rushing to make ends meet on top of struggling to make time to make art with a large dose of uncertainty, whether in regard to the rapid rise of AI or the myriad details needing attention daily. The world is getting faster and busier, but it is not getting any clearer, any easier, and it is certainly not getting any calmer. It feels denser, and that feeling of density is longing for some breathing room.
This zeitgeist began seeping into my work just as I began using paper about a year ago (so I could transport the work to Stockholm). I found myself working additively and abandoning my preferred minimalism. The pieces became layered collages with a long list of materials – matt-board, drawings, prints, ink on Yupo paper, coffee filters, book pages, paint, photographs, charcoal, pencil, graphite, walnut ink, thread, crayon, encaustic, micron pen, linen-paper, India ink, Silverpoint. Despite the long list, each piece strives for balance. Receded areas do not disappear completely so-as to keep the complexity; my attempt at both acknowledging and blatantly disregarding that which is hectic, overwhelming and chaotic.
I will be configuring these smallish works in groupings as wall installations. Individually, I think of them as dense nuggets I’ve tried to reconcile. Once in Sweden, I plan on utilizing the negative space of the walls to provide some air; to soothe what is agitated, to loosen that which is tight or dense. Each wall will become a mosaic of multitudes. Using steel pins to attach both the collages and 3D elements, the layout of each wall will happen in real time during the install – my attempt at organizing the layered multitudes.
-Stephanie Hargrave
