Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg

Nathalie Djurberg, born in Lysenkil, Sweden, in 1978, currently lives and works in Berlin. She is an artist whose films entertain, provoke thought, instill fear, and impress simultaneously. Djurberg tells fantastical stories that address real themes such as violence, sexual abuse, voyeurism, sadism, and pedophilia. Her characters, crafted from clay, animate the videos and occasionally take their place on pedestals to transform into sculptures, like those in the Iannaccone Collection. The characters often speak in clumsy English, delivering humorous phrases and jokes; they are rich in gestures and awkward movements marked by a certain roughness, while their somewhat outdated clothing makes the situations appear less difficult to endure than they truly are. "I reflect a lot on each character, especially if one of them has a strong personality, but in the end, I am always the one playing the roles of my characters since I am the one animating them. This means that I am both the victim and the perpetrator, and I must have the ability to feel both."

Djurberg invents the story, directs, designs costumes, builds sets from paper, and molds the puppets. The only exception to her solitary work is her partner, Hans Berg, also born in Sweden in 1978 in Rättvik, who composes the soundtracks. His sophisticated melodies range from electronic to neobaroque styles, enhancing the films' dramatic intensity. The narratives in her videos, such as in Woods, ooze cruelty and cynicism but also magic and romance, akin to classic fairy tales. "My works give the impression of being secure and strong because I work in a condition of intimacy, alone in my studio, always trying to extract my thoughts and expectations; at the same time, I am always mindful of what I do, reminding myself that I would do it even if no one were watching my works. Political and moral clichés interest me greatly in their broader connotation when portrayed on screen, but I also find it intriguing to see them minimized within myself. I tackle difficult, tedious, and shocking situations, flipping them around, attempting to inject a comedic side, thereby making them easier to endure and trying to soften the edge."