Dance for Me

The flashing dance floor draws the eye. Pink stars spin. Colourful rectangles pulse. Music pounds. It would be great to hit the dance floor here – that’s your first feeling.

Karolina Oxelväg’s video work in the room Volymen at Kulturkvarteret (The Culture Quarter) has so many layers. The association with nightclubs is immediate. Casinos and gambling are also top of mind. On closer inspection, the swarm of patterns takes on a meaning of its own. Each flickering square holds a motif. Here, beautiful women are doing their make-up in a YouTube clip. There, forced smiles are broadcast in continuous repetition.

Dance for Me provokes thoughts on how our ideals and our well-being are affected by the beauty industry. The video’s own power as a trendsetter for gestures and appeals is also made clear.