In the past few years, multidisciplinary artist Alexander Wessely has successfully established himself internationally, across multiple realms. From art to fashion, to music (he was a headliner at the Coachella festival in California), he has become a synonym for the intersection of creative production and visual arts–an incredible endeavor that brings together his contemporary yet classic aesthetic. Wessely, in fact, often refers to his Greek heritage, presenting interpretations of the archaic period but also re-readings of it and the modern human form. 

This month, the artist brings KORTEX, his latest solo exhibition and perhaps his most ambitious project, to Fotografiska Stockholm. “We want our guests to be completely enveloped by Wessely’s universe and engulfed by his creations, where raw visual expressions bounce against a suggestive sound landscape,” Mohamed Mire, Exhibition Producer at Fotografiska Stockholm commented. The installation will represent one of the largest contemporary art shows in Scandinavia and it will feature Wessely’s artistic practice across sculpture, photography, and film. In particular, KORTEX will explore the concept of idolatry in the modern world–the paradoxical relationship between icons and their worshippers, the unilateral absorption of one’s persona. 

“I started working with world-renowned icons over 10 years ago and experienced how they were surrounded by idolatry and adoration,” Wessely explained. The artist observed the evolution of this phenomenon collaborating with some of today’s most influential musicians, such as The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia. “As I became more aware of the outer layers around these human behaviors,” he continued, “KORTEX was born. A multifaceted installation that juxtaposes distinct yet complementary dimensions – the new and the ancient, the surface and the inner core, the object and the concept behind it.” 

The multi-dimensional experience, dominated by marble sculptures, light pillars, photographs, 3D technology, and projections, will introduce visitors to a depiction of Abel Tesfaye AKA The Weeknd; a never-before-seen sound piece in collaboration with Dani Moon AKA 070 Shake; and a suggestive video work titled Individual Crowd in which human skin cast in white marble floats naked in the darkness. These ‘photo-based’ sculptures will aim at revealing the fragile and ephemeral nature of humans to their viewers. In an area of nearly 1000 square meters, Wessely invites his audience to go beyond the layers of societal constructs and face humanity’s raw, inner core as brutal and difficult as it might get.

Alexander Wessely’s KORTEX opens on May 12 at Foto Fotografiska Stockholm and will be on display until September 17, 2023.