Slow movements. Mechanical breaths. Eyes that meet our own. In Lars Brunström’s installations, animals become carriers of human emotion – reminding us of what we share rather than what sets us apart.
Lars Brunström works with installations and moving mechanical sculptures in which animals often appear in staged situations. The works function as performances or tableaux vivants – living images where movement, time and presence are central. Their slow, sometimes hypnotic patterns of movement create a subtle yet powerful connection between viewer and artwork.
The Anthropocene – the age of human impact on the planet – is a recurring theme in Brunström’s artistic practice. The animals inhabiting his installations are often survivors of a depleted and exploited natural world. At the same time, the scenes are equally concerned with intimate human experiences: life and death, grief, love and care. These are emotions that have remained with us throughout history and continue to shape who we are.
Through assemblage – three-dimensional collage – Brunström creates life-sized mechanical sculptures. Movement is at the heart of his work. Inspired by the movements of humans, animals and machines, he often isolates a single moment: a twitch, a shift, a slow repetition. The movement is extended in time, repeated and intensified until it becomes a language of its own – a way of experimenting with time and with our attention.
Lars Brunström works as an artist and teacher at Nyckelviksskolan. His works are made from materials such as synthetic fur, silicone, wood, metal, motors, clay and fabric – industrial and organic elements that together form quiet yet charged stories about our time, the natural world and ourselves.
A recurring theme in Brunström’s artistic practice is the Anthropocene – the age of humankind and its consequences. The roles played by the animals often reflect experiences of a depleted and exploited natural world, but the scenes are just as much about universal human emotions
The Vulture, a watchful vulture keeps vigil over a desolate landscape. A world in dissolution – perhaps already understood by the animals, but still denied by us. Here we stand together: in the aftermath. Can we reverse the course? Its gaze meets our own. We become part of the scene – a collective of bodies, responsibility and consequences.
What does it mean to be human in our time – when ideals, algorithms, and inner demands shape our lives?
Read more