Since 2018, Alexander Salvesen has worked as a full-time visual artist in his studio in Metsälä. The studio is filled with artworks, ranging from tiny paintings to large light artworks.
In Alexander's art there is a balance of two opposing poles, a very minimalist one with few abstract elements like a line, a colour or a shape. He balances this with an infinite depth of detail. Alexander wants to create an ensemble that gives small gifts and experiences to the viewer, the longer the viewer looks at a work of art the more they get.
Alexander's main medium is light, he thinks that light as a material is fantastic as it can also be combined with so many different materials. One of his favourite mediums is traditional glass-blown neon lights, even though he likes to play with spontaneity in art, neon lights require careful planning. “Before the eye can see the light, the glass tubes must be planned and ordered, which in turn puts restrictions on how spontaneous the work process can be.” In addition to this, Alexander documents what he sees and experiences with video and photography, which he then uses in his art.
Recurring themes in Alexander's art are sensations and people’s relationship with our surroundings. How we live and relate to how we eat, live and use different resources, both good and bad.
This year Alexander will be working as an artist in residence in Korpoström, made possible by the Pro Artibus Foundation. During the residency, which runs well into the autumn, he will work with neon, water-based media and analogue projections. The large analogue projections are major commissions that will be shown around Finland during the autumn and winter of 2025-2026. An imminent theme of this year's work is the archipelago sea, water and the role of the sea in our lives.
When Alexander was studying musicology, he realised that he didn't want to be the one analysing other people's work, but he wanted to create his own, to take material and make something completely new and create an impact. While this was an important realisation for him, Alexander says that the privilege of growing up with parents from a creative background has shown him that it is possible to be an artist.
During this year's Konstrunda, Alexander hopes that people will take an afternoon or two to visit the artists' studios. "We live in a time when Finland's cultural life has never been under so much pressure, so it is now particularly important for visitors to engage in dialogue with artists and cultural workers. Of course, you can also visit studios without talking about art, but it is certainly appreciated,” says Alexander. He is excited to hear how people interpret his artwork and hopes to capture something that people recognise. At the same time, his studio is a safe place, you don't need to know anything about art or understand it. Alexander recalls that Konstrundan is a great event to learn about being an artist, as a visitor you can see ‘behind the scenes’, see what a palette looks like, to just be in a studio and experience it all.
In Alexander's studio there is art to buy in all price ranges, from postcards to larger works. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to see art exhibited for the first time, there will be a lot of art that no one has seen before.