In The Spotlight – Not Without Gloves By Mouparna Dutta

 

In The Spotlight – Not Without Gloves
By Mouparna Dutta

Project overview

Lena Mattsson’s 2021 experimental film Not Without Gloves explores the shared identity we all possess through our experiences and memories of the landscapes that shape us, drawing from Mattsson’s own origins. Through a series of distortions and reinterpretations, the film challenges the traditional romanticized view of nature. Instead, viewers are invited into a mystical realm, where Mattsson poetically addresses the pressing issues of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing global environmental crises.

about the director

Lena Mattsson (b. 1966) is an artist based in Malmö, Sweden. She studied at Målarskolan Forum, now known as Malmö Art Academy. Her films and video installations have been showcased both in Sweden and internationally. In Sweden, her work has been featured at Moderna Museet Malmö, Malmö Konsthall, Borås Museum of Modern Art, Malmö Konstmuseum, The Art Gallery at Bohusläns Museum, The Nordic Watercolour Museum in Skärhamn, Nässjö Konsthall, Göteborgs Konsthall, and the Island of Light in Smögen. Internationally, she has exhibited at venues such as Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Santiago, Chile, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the National Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, The Metropolitan Art Museum in Pusan, South Korea, SPARK VIDEO: BEACON in New York, and the Portobello Film Festival in London. Mattsson has received numerous accolades, including the Edstrand Foundation Art Prize and a ten-year grant from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee. Additionally, she works as a curator and co-curated exhibitions such as Generation – A Reflection on the 1990s Art Scene and Culture Under Covid-19 at Borås Museum of Modern Art alongside Ola Åstrand.

review

The documentary “Not Without Gloves” by Lena Mattsson examines how our shared experiences and recollections are shaped by the environments from which we hail. She explores her own heritage and challenges the idealized view of nature in this film. Rather of portraying nature in an idealized, unaltered state, she employs various methods to alter and question our perception of the original location. These landscapes are rebuilt in a mystical universe that the film encourages viewers to enter.

Through this, she also considers significant worldwide concerns like environmental change and the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasizes the effects of these occurrences on nature and our relationship to it using a poetic style. Though visually stunning and thought-provoking, the video challenges our perceptions of the natural world and our place in it.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this review are those of the author
and do not necessarily represent the opinions of any associated organizations
or entities. This review is provided for informational and entertainment
purposes. While we strive for accuracy and impartiality, the content reflects
the personal experiences and perspectives of the reviewer. Readers are
encouraged to conduct their own research and form independent judgments.

https://sptiff.com/2024/09/12/in-the-spotlight-not-without-gloves/