Alexander Wessely

Kortex

© Alexander Wessely

The artist Alexander Wessely, who has collaborated with some of the world’s biggest musical artists, will now be holding his most extensive exhibit ever at Fotografiska. In Wessely’s Kortex, which opens on May 12, he uses this long-running work to peel off the outer layer of humanity to examine and study the phenomenon of how humans worship idols through marble statues, video works and light- and soundscapes. The exhibit includes a marble statue of the musical artist The Weeknd and a unique sound work in a first-ever collaboration with 070 Shake.

Uniquely created marble sculpture

One ton of marble, light works and 270 degree projections are part of Alexander Wessely’s new exhibit Kortexat Fotografiska. Through his work with some of the world’s biggest musical artists, Alexander Wessely has intimately observed the phenomenon of human worship. His new exhibit Kortex explores this by peeling away layers of social constructs to expose humanity’s raw, inner core. What began as photographs has over the years transformed into photographic sculptures and now marble statues, specifically created for the exhibit.

Kortex includes a marble sculpture of Abel Tesfaye, also known as The Weeknd, and a unique sound work in a first-ever collaboration with Dani Moon, also known as 070 Shake. With a brutal approach and several different artistic expressions, Wessely explores the paradoxical relationship between the idolized person and the public’s adoration.

“I am trying to peel away the layers we humans construct”

”When I began my work with musical artists over ten years ago, I saw how they were surrounded by adoration and idolatry. Kortex was born out of my growing experience of the outer layers built up around these human phenomena. Through the exhibit, I am trying to peel away the layers we humans construct around ourselves and around others,” says Alexander Wessely.

unique range of artist collaborations

Wessely’s work has been shown in over 20 countries, from the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm to Madison Square Garden in New York and as the main act at the Coachella festival in California. His unique breadth of collaborations with artists includes the composer Jacob Mühlrad, the choreographer Alexander Ekman and musical artists like The Weeknd, Swedish House Mafia, Drake, and Rihanna.

”With Kortex, we want our guests to be completely embraced by Wessely’s universe and absorbed by his creations, where visual expressions ricochet against a suggestive soundscape. The exhibit consists of everything from unique 3D technology to marble statues, and Wessely’s works offer the audience space for both reflection and thought. With this exhibit, he challenges us to question our own assumptions and to take another approach to the phenomenon of idolatry,” says Mohamed Mire, exhibition producer at Fotografiska Stockholm.

Kortex will be shown at Fotografiska from May 12 to September 17, 2023.