'Philadelphia' by Tommy Krek Sveningsson and Albin Looström at NSFW, Gothenburg

Philadelphia brotherly love, a city of Lydia in Asia Minor, about 25 miles south-east of Sardis. It was the seat of one of the "seven churches"

It came into the possession of the Turks in A.D. 1392. It has several times been nearly destroyed by earthquakes. It is still a town of considerable size, called Allahshehr, "the city of God." //Do you want to feel bodily passion and power?//Want to feel more comfortable in the company of other men?//Do you want to stay present, secure and strong when you’re overthrown by life or your woman?// Modern society emasculates men by forcing them to live consumerist lives centered around shopping, clothing, and physical beauty. There is a need for refocusing on awakening the positive and healthy aspects of the masculine that the world needs and beckons. The essence of ‘the city’ is prevalent in Tommy Krek Sveningsson and Albin Looström’s exhibition “Philadelphia”. Krek Sveningsson often draws attentions to urban green areas where inhabitants find peace and solace from stresses of everyday life. Looström utilizes found material from the city in his work that in many ways depict our powerlessness in relation to nature. The balance between the organic/ the natural and the artificial is in focus, both become extensions of human utterance. //Does life feel empty even though you have ‘everything’?//Want to find purpose with your life?//Do you long for inspiration and challenges?// A man who has wise male friends for support and corrected power makes better decisions. A man who is in loving hands of other men is more present in relation to his feeling and can give more of his heart to a his woman and the world. In Krek Sveningson and Looström’s respective artistic practices constantly deal with the duality of solitude. Their works show a need for introspection and self evaluation: looking inward by looking out over a dark lake full of water lilies or just in the non-action of being in the midst of a storm. But there is also yearning for company and to be a part of something larger than the self. //Does life feel meaningless?//Do you feel that you have an untapped potential and are ready for the next step in your life?//Are you tired of living a mediocre existence and KNOW that you have so much more to give?// A longing for  support, belonging and tools to grow as a human being where you can face challenges, find your life purpose, relax and unleash in the role as a MAN among MEN. I walked the avenue, 'til my legs felt like stone, I heard the voices of friends, vanished and gone, At night I could hear the blood in my veins, It was just as black and whispering as the rain, On the streets of Philadelphia.