Coinciding with the exhibition Don’t Be Scared, There’s a Treasure Behind the Locked Door by Swedish artist duo Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg at Lisson Gallery Beijing, Lisson Gallery will join forces with SIMPLE ONE to present a special screening, showcasing a selection of the artists’ representative video works, some of which have never before been shown in China. Djurberg and Berg will also attend the event in person to engage in a conversation with image researcher and curator Yang Beichen, sharing how their integration of stop-motion animation and original music explores the richness of human emotions, as well as reflecting on more than two decades of close artistic collaboration.

Djurberg and Berg’s practice is characterized by the interweaving of visual art, music, and multi-layered narratives. Djurberg meticulously sculpts each character and scene, while Berg composes hypnotic soundscapes that heighten the dramatic effect. Drawing inspiration from fables and fairy tales while revealing their darker sides, their stop-motion animations are charged with emotional intensity. By activating a dialogue between image and sound, the works invite reflection: beneath a seemingly playful and childlike aesthetic lies a profound examination of the human subconscious. Absurd imagery, satirical storylines, and captivating music amplify conflicting emotions and bring the viewer face to face with the depths of human experience.

The process of creating stop-motion animation unfolds at a deliberately slow pace. Whether through clay figures or charcoal-drawn scenes constantly revised and reworked, Djurberg invests immense time and energy, producing visuals that stand out in today’s digital-driven context. Berg’s compositions not only shape atmospheres of fear, eeriness, and tension, but also propel the narrative and characters forward, drawing audiences deep into the cinematic environment as if physically present within it.