
Intervals: Creative responses to space with Johan F. Karlsson
From Creating New Spaces: Interviews with artists redefining spaces through technology by Robin Petterd
June 3, 2025 · 17 min · Episode 25
About this episode
Johan F. Karlsson discusses his artistic process and the influence of the concept of ma on his site-specific installations.
In this podcast, you’ll learn how Johan F. Karlsson uses observation, intuition, and the concept of ma to shape site-specific installations that reveal subtle changes in space and time. In this interview, Johan F. Karlsson talks about the creative process behind Against the day and The space that remains . The installations are part of the exhibition Forever is nothing , developed during Johan’s residency at Space Department, a Japanese residency program that supports architecture and spatial-based art practices. Johan F. Karlsson is a Swedish artist whose work investigates time, space, and ephemeral processes. His practice spans video, performance, photography, and sculpture. He holds an MA in Photography from Aalto University and a BA in Culture and Arts from Novia University of Applied Sciences. Listen to this podcast to learn about: How the concept of ma guided a process of waiting, noticing, and responding How intuition and site-specific observation replace fixed planning in creative workflows How time becomes both material and subject in durational video installation Chapters (00:00:00) Introduction and acknowledgements (00:00:38) Exploring the concept of 'ma' (00:01:21)…
People in this episode
Host: Robin Petterd
Guest: Johan F. Karlsson
Topics covered
- site-specific installations
- artistic process
- concept of ma
- ephemeral processes
- creative workflows
Keywords
- Johan F. Karlsson
- site-specific art
- ma
- Against the day
- The space that remains
- Forever is nothing
- artistic residency
- ephemeral art
- creative process
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Space Department, Aalto University, Novia University of Applied Sciences
Books & works: Against the day, The space that remains, Forever is nothing
Places: Sweden, Malmö
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