Pia Sandström (b. 1969) lives and works in Stockholm and is active in Sweden and internationally. Thematically, her work often takes its point of departure in an interest in social relationships and how the surrounding world affects the individual. Her practice is expressed through various materials, including text, sound, and spatial installations.
Together with the then Director of Botkyrka Konsthall, Joanna Sandell, she founded the artist book archive Labyrint in 2006. The inspiration came from the novel The Library of Babel, 1963 and the short story The Garden of Forking Paths, 1941 by writer Jorge Luis Borges — where the idea of a circular library reflecting the universe in its entirety is central.
Work on Labyrint began with the book exhibition Labyrint, which set out to examine the role of the book as an artistic medium in contemporary art. As a result, an extensive archive and a unique art collection of artist’s books emerged, as many of the participating artists donated their works after the exhibition ended.
Two years later, in 2009, the second Labyrint exhibition, Labyrint 09 – Writings and Observations, was presented at Botkyrka Konsthall, with the book and writing at its core. Artists were invited to share their previous working processes and notes. Writing was explored as a way of seeing and transforming the world.
Labyrint, in Botkyrka konsthall in Tumba, 2007. Photo: Pia Sandström
Labyrint (2006 – 2016), Labyrint Press, 2016
In 2017, Labyrint Press published the book Labyrint (2006–2016), which summarizes ten years of work with artist’s books and art in textual and book-based forms at Botkyrka Konsthall.
Labyrint Press is the platform at Botkyrka Konsthall that enables artistic productions to take shape in the form of books and other printed materials. Since 2006, numerous artistic collaborations and projects have resulted in printed publications published by Labyrint Press.
Our collection of artist’s books can be accessed at Labyrint at Botkyrka Konsthall in Fittja. It is an open and living archive that contains books, printed matter, magazines, sculptures, and sound works — and continues to grow as new works are added.
Residence Botkyrka is supported by Botkyrkabyggen.