Installation view, Tales of the Altersea, Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, 2023. Photo: Alwin Lay

Lap-See Lam

Lap-See Lam was born in Stockholm in 1990, where she lives and works.

The artist was invited to create the idea and framework for a Gesamtkunstwerk at the Nordic Countries Pavilion for the 60th Venice Biennial, in 2024. Realised in collaboration with textile artist Kholod Hawash from Finland and the composer Tze Yeung Ho from Norway. Upcoming solo exhibitions include PHI Foundation, Montreal, and Moderna Museet, Stockholm (both 2025).

Recent solo exhibitions include Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, 2025; The Power Plant, Toronto (Vega Foundation); Studio Voltaire, London (both 2024); the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo NY; the Swiss Institute, New York City; Portikus, Frankfurt am Main; and Lidköping Konsthall, Sweden (all 2023); Bonniers Konsthall (2022, 2018); Trondheim Kunstmuseum (2021); and Moderna Museet Malmö (2018–2019).

Lam has taken part in group exhibitions at venues including Sammlung Philara, Düsseldorf (2024); Ghost 2565, Bangkok (2022); KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art, Berlin (2022); Power Station of Art, Shanghai (2021); PinchukArtCentre (2021); Uppsala Konstmuseum (2020); Performa 19 in New York (2019); Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris (2019); Luleå Biennial (2018); Kópavogur Art Museum, Kópavogur (2018); and Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen (2017).

She was the winner of Dagens Nyheter Culture Prize in 2021 and a recipient of the Maria Bonnier Dahlin Foundation Grant in 2017. In 2021 she was shortlisted for the Future Generation Art Prize. She was nominated for the Ars Fennica Award 2023. 'Tales of the Altersea' was on view at Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki as part of the Ars Fennica 2023 exhibition.

Her works can be found in public collections such as the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, USA Moderna Museet, Sweden; Maria Bonnier Dahlin Foundation, Sweden; L'Ascensore, Sicily, Italy; Kadist Foundation, France/USA; M+, Hong Kong, China; Malmö Konstmuseum, Sweden; Magasin III, Sweden; Public Art Agency, Sweden; and the Röhsska Museet, Sweden.

Exterior installation view, Lap-See Lam, The Altersea Opera, 2024. With Kholod Hawash and Tze Yeung Ho. The Nordic Countries Pavilion, 60th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale de Venezia, 20 April - 24 November, 2024. Photo: Michael Miller/Moderna Museet. Textile work © Kholod Hawash. © Lap-See Lam. Courtesy the artist, Moderna Museet and Galerie Nordenhake. Dragon head made by Lu Guangzheng, for The Altersea Opera.

Live performance, The Altersea Opera, 2024. Lap-See Lam with Kholod Hawash and Tze Yeung Ho. The Nordic Countries Pavilion, 60th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale de Venezia, 20 April - 24 November, 2024. Photo: Jan Ahlstedt /Moderna Museet. Textile work © Kholod Hawash. © Lap-See Lam. Courtesy the artist, Moderna Museet and Galerie Nordenhake.

Installation view, Lap-See Lam, The Altersea Opera, 2024. With Kholod Hawash and Tze Yeung Ho. The Nordic Countries Pavilion, 60th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale de Venezia, 20 April - 24 November, 2024. Photo: Michael Miller/Moderna Museet. Textile work ©️ Kholod Hawash. ©️ Lap-See Lam. Courtesy the artist, Moderna Museet and Galerie Nordenhake.

Installation view, Lap-See Lam, The Altersea Opera, 2024. With Kholod Hawash and Tze Yeung Ho. Photo: Henrik Lundell/ HLVM.

Installation view, Lap-See Lam, The Altersea Opera, 2024. With Kholod Hawash and Tze Yeung Ho. Dragon tail made by Lu Guangzheng, for The Altersea Opera. Photo: Henrik Lundell/ HLVM.

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Lap-See Lam in conversation with curator Carina Bukuts (Portikus Frankfurt/Main) on the occasion of Lam's solo exhibition 'Tales of the Altersea (Prologue)' at Galerie Nordenhake Berlin, September 15, 2023.

Tales of the Altersea (Dahlia), 2023, neon with green glass, 132.3 x 26 x 16.5 cm, 52 1/8 x 10 1/4 x 6 1/2 in

Installation view, 'Tales of the Altersea (Prologue)', Galerie Nordenhake Berlin, 2023

Installation view, 'Tales of the Altersea (Prologue)', Galerie Nordenhake Berlin, 2023

'Tales of the Altersea (Bow)', 2023, brass, neon, blockout paint, 152.4 x 94 cm, 60 x 37 in

Tales of the Altersea (Julie), 2023, kinetic sculpture: brass, paint, electrical motors, neon, 73 x 157 x 11 cm 28 3/4 x 61 3/4 x 4 3/8 in

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Video, Tales of the Altersea (Julie), 2023, kinetic sculpture: brass, paint, electrical motors, neon, 73 x 157 x 11 cm 28 3/4 x 61 3/4 x 4 3/8 in

Installation view, Tales of the Altersea, Swiss Institute, New York, 2023. Photo: Daniel Pérez

Installation view, Tales of the Altersea, Swiss Institute, New York, 2023. Photo: Daniel Pérez

Installation view, Tales of the Altersea, Swiss Institute, New York, 2023. Photo: Daniel Pérez

Installation view, Tales of the Altersea (Portal), 2023. Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, 2023. Photo: Tomas Maglione

Installation view, Tales of the Altersea, Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, 2023. Photo: Alwin Lay

Installation view, Tales of the Altersea, Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, 2023. Photo: Alwin Lay

Installation view, Tales of the Altersea, Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, 2023. Photo: Jiyoon Chung

Installation view, Tales of the Altersea, Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, 2023. Photo: Alwin Lay

Installation view, Det regnar drakfjäll, Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg, 2022. Foto: Carl Ander

Installation view, Det regnar drakfjäll, Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg, 2022. Foto: Carl Ander

Installation view, Det regnar drakfjäll, Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg, 2022. Foto: Carl Ander

Installation View, Dreamers’ Quay, Dreamers’ Key, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, 2022. Photo: Jean-Baptiste Béranger

Installation View, Dreamers’ Quay, Dreamers’ Key, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, 2022. Photo: Jean-Baptiste Béranger

Installation View, Dreamers’ Quay, Dreamers’ Key, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, 2022. Photo: Jean-Baptiste Béranger

Installation View, Dreamers’ Quay, Dreamers’ Key, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, 2022. Photo: Jean-Baptiste Béranger

Installation View, Dreamers’ Quay, Dreamers’ Key, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, 2022. Photo: Jean-Baptiste Béranger

Installation View, Dreamers’ Quay, Dreamers’ Key, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, 2022

Singing Chef Suit, 2021, hand folded double-sided inkjet print on washi paper, hanger, stainless steel

Installation view, Phantom Banquet, Galerie Nordenhake, Stockholm, 2020

Installation view, Phantom Banquet, VR 360 stereoscopic video, Galerie Nordenhake, Stockholm, 2020

Installation view, Mother's Tongue, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, 2019

Installation view, Performa 19 Commission, Performa Hub: Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, New York , 2019

Installation view, "Maria Bonnier Dahlin Foundation Grant Recipients 2017", Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, 2018

Installation view "Like the Eight Immortals", L’Ascensore OFF, Palermo Sicily, 2017