Bacchanal 2013

Curator: This is "Bacchanal" painted in 2013 by contemporary Swedish artist, Nick Alm. It’s an oil painting, a modern take on a classical theme, of course. Editor: It has this air of decadent sadness. Everyone’s dressed in white, yet it feels muted and somber, not celebratory. Curator: Notice the layers of material involved. The ruffles on the woman's dress, the varying fabrics, the details around the chairs... There's such labor implied in the making of both the scene and its recreation in oil. This invites discussion around ideas of consumption and luxury too. Editor: Right, how social rituals are presented here, seemingly detached from genuine emotion, invites a look into what Alm is really commenting on through the reinterpretation of this classic Bacchanal theme. There’s the echo of earlier movements but applied to today’s visual language. Curator: Absolutely. How would you contextualize this modern twist on a traditional theme like a bacchanal in relation to artistic traditions? Are we seeing commentary on social decay or modern pleasure-seeking? Editor: Both perhaps? Alm is presenting a contemporary interpretation of the party as a tableau of disaffection, which is a bold statement, don’t you think, within a lineage of artists depicting scenes of revelry. Curator: And looking closely at the physical production, one must also acknowledge how the making of such artworks ties to larger trends in consumerism and contemporary figurative work that is becoming popular these days. Editor: That is very true. So what has Nick Alm given us to consider, I wonder? He seems to explore a balance between critique and celebration. It seems very rich with commentary, if perhaps, rather heavy-hearted in tone. Curator: It’s clear Alm challenges the boundaries between a modern malaise and a celebration, wouldn’t you agree?