"Moss People" Kim Simonsson - Exhibition AoCG

In the year of the European Capital of Culture 2024, the Academy of Ceramics Gmunden presents special highlights. OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH and Gmundner Keramik are continuing their successful collaboration with artists. Kim Simonsson, an international artist who gives new impetus to ceramic art, will be our guest.

The Finnish artist takes us into the fantastic world of „Moss People“ – life-size, childlike creatures made of ceramic with a velvety surface, staged in a hyper-natural environment. The spectacular installation in the Gmundner Keramik Manufaktur takes up the entire exhibition space and immerses us: 23 Moss People observe a four-metre tall sleeping giantess who has invaded their habitat. The „Moss People“ live in a utopian future in which nature has reclaimed the world and are equipped with artefacts from our present-day civilisation, which has since perished. Inspired by the legends of his Nordic homeland Finland, but also by comics and manga, the artist, who works in the medium of ceramics, has covered his „forest people“ with a moss-like surface of yellow flocking made of nylon fibres on a black background.

Kim Simonsson created the „Salt Collector“ especially for the Salzkammergut region, who picks up on themes from the region with his leather trousers, hat, axe and found salt quarry stones. The figures in the exhibition are each assigned to one of the 23 municipalities that have joined forces for the European Capital of Culture Salzkammergut 2024.

The large figure „Communication“ on City Hall Square stands for the municipality of Gmunden, the salt collector surrounded by salt quarry stones from Salinen Austria AG represents Hallstatt, the „Enlightened Ruler“ represents Bad Ischl, „Jacky“, decorated all over with plants and flowers, stands for Grundlsee, a moss pirate for Ebensee, a „Believer“ for Gosau and an alpinist for Obertraun, etc.

Kim Simonsson’s MOSS PEOPLE can also be seen at the Schlossmuseum Linz from 19 September 2024.

La Communication“, a boy in communication with his doppelganger, stands in front of the silhouette of the Traunstein. The large figure with a xylophone on his back stands for a creative person and artist in dialogue with his analytically structured side, symbolised by the small figure with the Lego building block.

The giant „La Communication“ was produced in plastic as part of a series of large sculptures „Moss People“ during UTOPIA edition, 2022, organised by lille3000.

Kim Simonsson, *1974 in Helsinki, lives and works in Fiskars / FI, his works have been exhibited at major international art fairs and are in important collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum London and the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki.