T/EXKURSION: Elisabeth Kihlström
In early December, Ebba Fransén Waldhör and a group of first-year students visited Elisabeth Kihlström's studio to learn about her work. Based in Vienna, Kihlström works across a range of media, including textiles, sculpture, performance, photography, and installation. A central part of her work is an engagement with weaving, which she uses to create sculptural objects and installations.
Kihlström weaves her pieces by hand, employing materials such as horsehair and silver. Her practice often involves working both with and against the inherent properties of these materials, creating contrasts between force and release, tension and flexibility, and control and unpredictability. In CARAPACE for example, Kihlström weaves horsehair into a curvature reminiscent of an overstretched human back, complemented by metal elements that evoke both horse bridles and butcher's hooks. Kihlström’s practice extends beyond material experimentation to examine how architectural, social, and mental spaces of the modern (queer) subject are constructed.



