Johan Gustavsson

Johan Gustavsson (b. 1978, Stockholm) is a curator and educator based in The Hague, The Netherlands. Gustavsson is a Co-director and Curator at 1646, Lecturer at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Co-founder of Alternative Art Guide and The Hague Contemporary and head of the board at Page Not Found.

Gustavsson curates the large-scale exhibitions Prospects for the Mondriaan Fund from 2020-2023 at the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam, in conjunction with Art Rotterdam. Gustavsson further worked as a Cultural Ambassador for the city of The Hague and has curated several international exhibitions.

Gustavsson’s focus is on artistic practices that use strategies such as fictioning, complicating and humour in order to generate dialogue or to propose alternative points of view. The notion is that fiction is an essential instrument to help imagine the world differently. In the same light, embracing and celebrating complexity, contradiction and paradox – as inherent qualities of human existence – are essential to weigh up against the predominance of rationality and logic. Finally, using playfulness and humour as tools is needed to maintain an open attitude.

Gustavsson’s visit is organised in collaboration with Uniarts Helsinki, the Artists’ Association of Finland and HAM – Helsinki Art Museum.