Curating Art: NAMAK

April 2 – April 16, 2025
Opening: April 2nd, 17:00 – 19:00
Performance: start 17:15
Artist: Cariz Nordlöf
Curated by Noël Platts and Ruoxi Gao
Graphic designer: Maja Godek

The installation and performance artwork draws on research into the environmental degradation of the Karun River in Iran, as well as the historical context of the Accelerator pool.

Iran's longest river, Karun, is suffering from severe environmental degradation. It has faced significant ecological damages. Industries and agriculture on non-fertile soil have led to increased salinization of the river. Salt plays a central role in NAMAK. Nordlöf uses the corrosive properties of salt as a way to artistically manipulate aluminium pieces. With saltiness, the work seeks to draw a connection to our memories of salt and thirst, as well as the vulnerable body made fragile through prolonged exposure to contamination. Its saltiness also parallels the concerns addressed in Goldin and Senneby’s Flare-Up exhibition at Accelerator, such as biochemical imbalance and its effect on life forms.

The Karun River is indeed thirsty much like the pool at Accelerator. In its former days, when the building was a laboratory, the pool was filled with water to prevent potential fire outbreak. Now it stands empty, thirsty and yearning for both past and future. Set in the hollow depths of the Accelerator pool, Cariz performs a heartfelt homage to salt and water. Encircled by glimmering aluminium sheets, washed in salt water, hammered and hung. NAMAK offers a glimpse of salty memories – such as sand dunes glistening with salt crystals, a dry voice whispering for water, and an aluminium cup tucked into a pocket. What are your salty memories?

Cariz Nordlöf (b.1992, Uppsala and Karaj, Iran) is studying Fine Art at Konstfack, Stockholm. She has a multilingual practice and creates sculptures, sound pieces, performances and installations. Current topics in her practice focus on listening and expressing the narratives of water, time traveling, memories and sorrows. She approaches the themes by combining research with a highly presence of intuitivity in the process.

On the opening night, the artist will perform in the pool outside Accelerator. Starting at 17:15,  adding a short auditory dimension to the visual experience. After the opening night the artwork can be viewed, during Accelerator opening hours from the 2–16 of April.

The curators would like to thank everyone who contributed to the project's production. A special thanks to Accelerator and to the SU curating art programme team for their professional advice and guidance. A huge appreciation is owed to the graphic designer Maja Godek for her salty printed visual. Thank you, Cariz Nordlöf, for the dedication and collaboration in bringing this event to life, and to those at Konstfack who supported Nordlöf during the production of NAMAK.

The installation is on view during the following hours:
Mon – Tues 10:30 – 15:00
Wed 10:30 – 19:00
Thurs – Fri 10:30 – 17:00
Sat – Sun 12:00 – 16:00

The international Master's programme Curating Art is a two-year curatorial education. It is a collaboration between Art History (together with the schools of Business and Law) at the university together with prominent art institutions in Stockholm. Curating Art is in equal shares an academic and practice based education.

Programme website