In the work Salt, sulphur, mercury I cast thin sheets of plaster in the 16:9 format, a common video format, and pour canola oil over them. To let the oil seep in, I have to wait for days. I allow the oil to choose its own path through the material. The thinner the plaster becomes, the more transparent it gets, allowing more sunlight to shine through the otherwise opaque surface.

I cast site-specific window sills for the objects to rest on and place the objects according to the three cardinal directions of the windows.
The sun illuminates the objects at different times of the day.

The title derives from an old alchemical term, Tria Prima. In some texts, it refers to earth, wind, and fire; in others, to body, spirit, and mind.
In Robert Fludd's theory, it represents darkness, light, and water.

”From the outset of the “Macrocosm” section, Fludd’s cosmogony was based on the three generative principles which were those conceptualised by Paracelsus in his own alchemy, namely, those of light, darkness, and water, from which emerged the three primary elements that constituted matter, that is, Salt from darkness (as the “prima materia”), Sulphur from light (as the soul), and Mercury from water (as the spirit). These, in turn, produced the four qualities of antique and medieval physics, the qualities of heat, cold, dryness, and moistness. Fludd’s alchemical cosmology was explained by a series of intricate geometrical diagrams of great power and beauty.”
source: https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/robert-fludd-and-his-images-of-the-divine/

Salt, sulphur, mercury was created as part of the course Re/enchantment held by Lina Selander and Petra Carlsson Redell.
Together with theology students and curator students the course explored spirituality, sacredness and the earths own agency.

The course ended with a group exhibition in Benhuset, a building from the 18th century used as a morgue during the winter. After this it was used as a storage for the gardeners and since 2014 a scene for arts and culture.

Thank you MAX IV lab in Lund for the visit.