Rut Karin Zettergren’s works often begins as an investigation into historical events or speculations about the future. In recent years, she has been influenced by theories and histories around cyber and cyborg feminism, science fiction, technological heritage, and the construction of modernity. Her works take the form of drawings, performances, video, spatial installations, VR and online presentations. Rut Karin often works in groups and collaborations such as Scylla’s Opulent Noise Generator (SONG) who practice polymorphic thinking and techno-feminist strategies to create art that speculates on more inclusive futures. And Whyte&Zettergren, who makes performances that revolve around entangled transatlantic legacies and explore methods of healing historical traumas caused by coloniality.
Rut Karin has received scholarships for her art from institutions as Swedish Art Grant Comity, Konstakademin and KONE foundation. In 2019 she won the major Swedish drawing price Den Tänkande Handen and 2020 she received IASPIS artist in residency scholarship for Delfina Foundation in London. Since 2020 she is a lecturer in moving image at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. Since 2023 she is a PHD student at University of Art in Helsinki with the thesis Cyborg perception-Technofeminist strategies for exploring utopia through military coded infrared imaging technology .
CV
Education
2023- Ongoing PHD student at University of Art in Helsinki (FI)
2018 Coding for Artist, postgraduate course, Konstfack (SE)
2014 Urban Re:mix, postgraduate studies in architecture and art at The Royal institute of Art (SE)
2005 – 2011 BFA+MFA at The Royal Institute of Art (Kungl. Konsthögskolan) (SE)
2009 Exchange studies at Instituto Superior de Arte Havana (CU) 2007 Fine art studies, Margaret Trowel School of Industrial and fine Art, Makerere University (UG)
2003-2005 Nya Domen Art school, Painting and drawing department (SE)
Member of artist gropes
2007-2013 Crystal Beacon (CB) - Lena Bergendahl, Jennifer Rainsford and Rut Karin Zettergren
2013-2019 0s+1s Collective - Chotterina Freer, Sonia Hedstrand, Anna Kinbom, Rut Karin Zettergren 2017-Ongoing
Whyte & Zettergren (W&Z) - Olando Whyte and Rut Karin Zettergren 2021-Ongoing Scyllas Opulent Noice Generator (SONG) - A Kinbom, C Freer and RK Zettergren
Solo Shows
2023
Nightboon Curatorial Program for Research CPR2, New York (USA)
2019
Herring, Iron, Gunpowder, Humans & Sugar, Galleri Gerlesborg, GIBCA Extended (SE) (W&Z)
2018
The future was at her fingertips – digital ambivalence, cyborging and technofeminism – Södertälje Konsthall (SE) (0s+1s)
Inna Di Video Light - Gallery Sinne (FI) (with Anna Rokka)
2017
The Legacy Complex – La Fábrica de Arte Cubano (CU) (0s+1s)
Inna Di Video Light – Titanic Gallery (FI) (with Anna Rokka)
Inna Di Video Light - Gallery 54 at GIBCA Extended (Gothenburg International Biennial for Contemporary Art) (SE) (with Anna Rokka) The Legacy Complex – Gotlands Art Museum (0s+1s)
2016
Applied Theories of Expanding Minds – Konstfrämjandets Galleri I Umeå (SE) (with CB)
2012
Woodland - Vita Kuben Norrlands Opera house (SW) (with CB)
2011
Rebuild and Change Nature - Mångkulturellt Center (SW)
Applied Theories of Expanding Minds- Makerere Art Gallery, Kampala (UG) (with CB)
2010
Healing of the Nations - Haninge Art center (SE)
Applied Theories of Expanded Minds - Gallery Mejan (SE) (with CB)
Shows, screenings and performances in selection
2024
Ljuset Konsthall C (SE) (W&Z)
Claws and Connections – All the World's Senses - KuvA/Tila (FI)
2023
Flooting Figures 2023 BFI London Film Festival (UK) (SONG)
Vävda Rum, an AR app curated by Ulrika Flink for Sveriges Konstföreningar (SE) (SONG)
Galleri Thomassen vår utställning curated by Nora Söder (SE) (W&Z) Herring, Iron, Gunpowder, Humans & Sugar, Klippan, Gammelbo bruk (SE) (W&Z).
2022
Historical spiritual vibration- a space traveling program Reykjavík City Library. (W&Z)
Historical spiritual vibration- a space traveling program, performance Living art Museum (IS), (W&Z)
IMMUNE, at Living Art museum (IS) (W&Z)
2021
Fungal Datascapes: A Sporous Commons of Mushrooms and Climate,Goethe institute gallery Glasgow during COP26.
Phantoms of the Commons, Tensta Konsthall (SE)
Something about the reality we share and the realities we don’t at Celsius Projects in collaboration with Inter Arts Center Malmö (SE) Crowd, TEGEN2, Stockholm (SE) (W&Z)
2020
Herring, Iron, Gunpowder, Sugar and Humans No4, performances at the fd plantation Stokes Hall, at Fd Molyne's Sugar Estate and at Fort Charles and in Port Royal harbor (W&Z)
2019
Nina, K. and Connie: An audio performance at Talin Femenist Forum (EE) (SONG)
Motståndets tid – om dekolonisering, at Tegen2 (SE) (W&Z)
Nina, K. and Connie: An audio performance - Work Hard! Play Hard! Side Effects (BY) (SONG)
2018
Agressive Gesture – 3:e Våningen. Herring, Iron, Gunpowder, Human & Sugar No1, (SE+JA), (W&Z)
Drone dancing:Performing How to tell the future by weaving on an ancient loom - Färgfaberiken(SE)
Den tänkande handen – Gustav III Antikmuseum
Mozarts ghost, Internet art, feminism and resistance - Göteborgs Konsthall (SE) Curated by Alida Ivanov (0s+1s)
2017
SuecaKonstCuba - La Fábrica de Arte Cubano (CU) (0s+1s) Polymer Art Space (TW)
Transmission -Work Hard Play Hard Festival (BY) (0s+1s)
Like a Horse- Fotografiska Museet (The Museum of Photography) o (SE)
Med fingrarna i syltburken- Cantina Real (SE)
Business As Usual - www.kreuzbergpavillon.de. Kurerad av Mario Margani and Sascha Hundorff
2016
Kabbo Ka Muwala - The Girl's Basket. National Gallery of Zimbabwe (ZB) ,
Makerer Art Gallery (UG), Städtische Galerie Bremen (GE)
Beyond the surface, curated by Laborneunzehn screened at Laborneunzehn and Occulto Fest (GE)
STOCKmotion film festival (SE) (CB)
Filmform News at bio Rio, Stockholm (SE) (CB)
Oberhausen Film festival (GE) (CB)
2015
Relative Distance, Intimate Space, St Petersburg, RUS ( 0s+1s)
Soft Light on Alpahabet Inc. Performance at at The Nordic Art Association Malongen (SE)
Caught in the Act, Sliphus Villan (SE)
2014
The Return of the Ghosts - Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition (TW) (Crystal Beacon)
Mänttä Art Festival, (FI) (With Anna Rikka)
XL Art Space Helsinki (FI)
2013
Bar de Bois (AU)
Butchers tears and Lost Property (NL)
Tensta Museum: Rapporter från nya Sverige - Tensta Konsthall (SE) Oberhausen on Tour, Cinema Zuid, (BL), Barbican Centre, London (GB) , Star and Shadow Cinema (GB), LosAngeles Filmforum (US) (Crystal Beacon)
Singes de Nuit, (FR) (Crystal Beacon)
2012
One Night Stand- Kirsis Art Center (CH)
The Crippeled Dancer at Trägårn (SW)
Royal Institute of Arts Research Week – Bio Rio (SW) , (Crystal Beacon)
No More Westerns - Impakt Festival (NL), (Crystal Beacon) Melancholy in Progress - Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition, Hong-Gah Museum (TW), (CrB)
Husby TV - Husby festival and the Modern Museum (SW)
4th Belo Horizonte International Film Festival (BR), (Crystal Beacon)
Artist Cine Club: Africa in Science Fiction - FACT Center Liverpool (UK), (Crystal Beacon)
Curtas Villa do Conde International Film Festival (PO), (Crystal Beacon)
Applied Theories of Expanding Minds - Greatmore Studios (SF) , (Crystal Beacon)
The Desire Called Utopia and Other Science Fictions – Arnolfini (UK), (Crystal Beacon)
So You Say- West Space (AU), (Crystal Beacon)
Oberhausen International film festival International Competition (GE), (Crystal Beacon)
Rotterdam International film festival (NL), (Crystal Beacon)
2011
Kort på Kino - Kino art video festival (NO)
Kenya International film festival (KE), (Crystal Beacon)
Applied Theories of Expanded Minds - National Theatre (KE), (Crystal Beacon)
Locker Room Film Festival – Arcus (JP)
The never ending musical at Gallery Kurant (NO)
2010
Applied Theories of Expanding Minds at Docky Lodge Stockholm (SW), (Crystal Beacon)
The Healing of the Nations at Tupp festival - Uppsala city theatre (SW) 2009
The Healing of the Nations at Bastard gallery (SW)
Full Pull festival (SW), (Crystal Beacon)
The Healing of the Nations at a bilateral event at Havana Biennial (CU)
Artist in residency program's in selection
2022
IMMUNE, two weeks AIR in Iceland April 2022 as a part of a two year online project. (W&Z)
2020
Delfina Foundation, thematic residency Science_technology_society (UK) with support from IASPIS
2019
Malongen, Stockholm (SE) (Whyte&Zettergren)
2017
Nordiska Akvarellmuseet (SE)
BAC (Baltic Art Center) Jun , Gotland (SE) (0s+1s Collective)
Sim Residency, May, Reykjavik, (IS) (Internet_Dollz)
2016
BAC (Baltic Art Center) Jun, Gotland (SE) (0s+1s Collective)
The Nordic Art Association Malongen (0s+1s Collective) (SE)
The Bergman Estates Fårö, March, Gotland (SE) (0s+1s Collective) 2015
BAC (Baltic Art Center) March , Gotland (SE) (0s+1s Collective)
PS Lagos, Jan- Mars Lagos (NG)
Teaching and workshops in selection
2020-ongoing
Lecturer in moving images at the Royal Institute of Art Stockholm, 50% position. (SE)
2023
One day workshop with Index Teen Advisory Board
2018
Head teacher at the fine art program at Gerlesborgs Konstskola in Bohuslän, 6 months (SE)
Konsten@Internet Gerlesborgs Konstskola in Stockholm. (SE)
Konsten@Internet Gerlesborgs Konstskola in Bohuslän (SE)
2017
Teacher in moving image at Gerlesborgs Konstskola in Bohuslän (SE)
2016-2017
Studio visits with students at Gerlesborgs Konstskola in Stockholm. (SE)
2016 Workshop at Morden Museum of Art in the project YOUYOUERS, MUSEUM MUSEUM. (SE)
Konsten@Internet, teaching internet art at Nordiska Konstskolan (FI)
Other:
2019
Sketch commission public art work for Västra Götalandsregionen, 1 of 3 artist chooses to leave proposal. (SE)
2018
Winner of the price “Den tänknande Handen” The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts (SE)
2016
Participation in Grosses Treffen 2016, Berlin.
2012-2014
Participant in Stockholm Film Lab , arranged by the Stockholm International Film Festival.
2012
Applied Theories of Expanding Minds special mention at the Oberhausen Int Film Festival.
2009-2011
Board member of the Royal Board of the Academy of Arts