Artists in residence, Stockholm, 1 November 2023 – 26 April 2024

The artist duo Lerin/Hystad consists of Simon Torssell Lerin and Bettina Hvidevold Hystad. Since 2010, they have been working at the intersection of visual art and experimental music. With the work “Electronic Flora,” the duo engages with plants firmly rooted in their environment. Although plants are stationary beings, they continuously explore their surroundings, interconnected through various internal and external networks. Lerin/Hystad records electrical data from these plants, which, through sonification, is transformed into sound. The plants themselves dictate the tones, melodies, and rhythms in the music. Additionally, Bettina Hystad studies these plants through detailed pencil drawings. Avoiding perfect holotypes, Hystad embraces imperfections to highlight the unique qualities of each individual plant.

Bettina Hvidevold Hystad and Simon Torssell Lerin

During their residency at IASPIS, Lerin/Hystad will compile their work “Electronic Flora” into a book. The publication documents the duo’s interactions with over a hundred different plants. In addition to drawings, music, and their own writings, the book includes new essays by ten different authors, including writers, philosophers, art historians, and biologists. These essays offer diverse perspectives on Lerin/Hystad’s artworks and provide fresh insights into the world of plants. Notable contributors include Timothy Morton, Giovanni Aloi, and Michael Marder.

Lerin/Hystad both received their education from Konstfack and the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm, as well as from the Bergen Academy of Art and Design in Norway. Their works have recently been exhibited at Naturkulturreservatet Marhult, the Småland Triennial (2023), Härke Art Center (Östersund, 2023), Møre and Romsdal Art Center (Molde, 2023), “Electronic Flow(er),” NAIRS Contemporary Art Center (Scuol, 2019), and Värmland Museum (Karlstad, 2019). Lerin/Hystad are also active musicians and have toured in Europe, China, and Japan.