U.S., 07.10.2024
Florence Montmare is a multidisciplinary artist, photographer, and director. Born in Vienna and raised in Stockholm by her Swedish and Greek parents, she pursued a Master’s degree in Design Management at Linnaeus University in Sweden. Following her studies at the International Center of Photography in New York and involvement in fine art projects in Paris, Florence set up her studio practice in both New York and Sweden.
Tell us about this project
Scenes from an Island is my second monograph, a collection of photographs and texts
created between 2014 and 2021 during various stays at the Ingmar Bergman Estate on
the Swedish island of Fårö. Through photography and text, I explore metaphors of time and transience. Using the island as a stage, I create different scenarios; images of landscapes, and with figures transitioning through them.
My work involves site-specific research and reflects on suspended, circular concepts
of time. I explore the tension between figuration and abstraction, between interior and
exterior, played out as silent ambiguous tales. In Scandinavia, the relationship to nature
is almost religious as a way of finding a connection. In examining the vulnerability of
humanity, I see it as a ritual to connect to nature as a source. I am drawn to the interplay between what is tangible, and what is nebulous, what lies between physical dimensions and the captured images to explore boundaries between different mediums and expressions. As a part of this project, I collaborated with resident islanders, recent refugees, and premiere dancers from the Stockholm Royal Opera to explore movement, and notions of identity.
Most of my work is process-based — from concept to performance — and crossdisciplinary, where I use writing, photography, video, performance, installation,
and collage. Earlier excerpts and images from Scenes from an Island were shown at
Fotografiska New York, at Bergmancenter Fårö, Sweden, and the Helsinki Photo
Festival at the National Museum of Finland.
What inspired you?
The unique stark beauty of the Fårö island landscape inspired me and pulled me in.
I saw my mother’s Swedish origin from the north of Gotland, a stone’s throw away, and
my father’s Cretan heritage merge into this one landscape. It is the “mise-en-scène” of
Ingmar Bergman, an auteur who created his universe of images. When I was offered a
chance to stay in his home, it inspired me to create this new body of work. As an
image-maker, I am inspired by the aesthetic of cinema and directors such as
Ingmar Bergman, Maya Deren, Luis Buñuel, and Andrei Tarkovsky. I was lucky to
be mentored by Deborah Turbeville, and the conversations I had with her have
influenced me.
The intense silence and solitude of the island were important for my process, and I
spent numerous hours in Bergman’s meditation room overlooking the barren shores.
When you meditate, it seems like time becomes elastic. In transcending everything
becomes visible, almost like an echo chamber. In reflection of the elemental something
emerges. I would imagine different scenarios that could take place in the inner rooms
of the landscape.
Why did you choose Munken for this project?
I tried a few different papers, but I wanted something that could reflect the tactility of
the island surfaces and the Scandinavian sensibility, with its special light and elemental
nature. For Scenes from an Island, I chose Munken Lynx 170g. When I touched it, I knew that this paper would be able to convey the integrity of my vision. I am quite specific about the materials I use, it has to feel appropriate to the images. They are are complex with many layers, so the quality of the paper is important, as well as the ability to keep them over time.
What does paper mean to you?
To me, a blank piece of paper is fascinating. It’s an invitation to play with endless
possibilities to be uncovered. The process of putting the work on paper is a “moment
of truth”. You can visualize all you want, but once it’s transferred to paper, it becomes
very real and matter-of-fact. Suddenly it is transformed into something to touch,
hold, and keep.
What are you up to right now?
I just spent a month in an artist residency at the Swedish Institute/ Institut Suédois in
Paris, where I have been researching my next projects. I am also releasing the book
Scenes from an Island this fall while presenting my monograph America Series, a
portrayal of diverse voices on a pilgrimage through the United States. I am in the
process of making an art documentary film titled MARTA, about a woman in my
family who was a pioneer photographer at the beginning of the 1900s. I am also
finalizing work for the Gotland Museum of an installation that will be presented at a
train station. In this project, I created a camera obscura out of a historic train car, and
the work deals with time transparency, disappearance, and transience in different ways.
