The Kloud is lifting Kista in many different ways – not least with colour, shape and new experiences. Part of that effort is clear with the Kista Open Art competition, which was held in June and had more than 100 creative entries. Now, the jury has chosen the two winners, whose artwork will be showcased in central Kista.
What success! More than 100 incredible and creative entries were submitted to Kista Open Art, held in June and open to everyone. The competition, which is part of a larger initiative called Kista Art, invited artists to submit entries on The Kloud theme of Creative change, with the goal being to enrich two selected locations in central Kista.
The Kista Open Arts jury evaluated the submitted entries using four competition criteria:
- Level of creativity
- Interpretation of the theme: Creative change
- The artwork's connection to the site
- How the work conveys faith in the future
Locations and winners
There are two locations that will benefit from Kista Open Art competition artworks: a large, grey wall at Grönlandsgången and a small, inconspicuous building on Blåfjällsgatan. In the past, hundreds of thousands of people have passed by these spots, probably without a second thought – but now that is certainly about to change.
So, whose art will we see? The winners of Kista Open Art 2022 are ... Magid Abdul-Karem and Blobb.tv! Magid's work will be at Grönlandsgången and Blobb.tv's on Blåfjällsgatan.
Description and justification – Magid Abdul-Karem:
"Magid Abdul-Karem is not only an artist, but also a trained nurse and engineer who lives and works in Kista. With his work "The future step", which shows Kista's thousand-year-old runestone in the hands of an astronaut, Magid gives a powerful visual expression of Kista's change. The work will not only be realized physically, but also immortalized as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) and can thus generate an income that enables further public art in Kista.”
Description and justification – Blobb.tv:
"An artist who works in the borderland between human and pixel, using painting, animation and code, Blobb.tv has previously carried out artistic commissions for, among others, the Riksdag, Håkan Hellström, Amnesty International and the Swedish Women's Lobby. For Kista Open Art, Blobb.tv has contributed an exciting work that is based on AR (Augmented Reality) and is well connected to both Kista's tech profile and the competition theme Creative change. Just like Kista, Blobb.tv's work is constantly changing, which the viewer will be able to experience with their smartphone."
Artwork completion and more info
The works of art will now be completed and realised at their respective locations. The plan is for them to be ready in time for spring 2023, when anyone with a spark of curiousity, or simply passing by, can enjoy and experience them.
Keen to learn more about Kista Art or the two artists? Check out Magids and Blobb.tv's Instagrams. And you can find out more on Kista Art at the link below.
About Kista Art on The Kloud’s website
AR, Augmented Reality or Enhanced Reality (Wikipedia)
NFT, Non-fungible token (Wikipedia)
