Gustav, based in Gothenburg, carves images of modern everyday life into rocks, including cargo ships, logos, and SMS conversations. According to Aftonbladet, Gustav described that a single carving can take up to 100 hours to make, highlighting the time-intensive nature of his work. He previously sometimes carved without permission but has since changed his approach.
Now, he always seeks approval before starting a new piece, as he told Aftonbladet, indicating a shift toward more authorized practices. The artworks are gaining attention online, with images spreading quickly on social media and arousing great curiosity about his modern rock art. In parallel, in a concrete cave under a commuter station in Gothenburg, the artist who goes by the name Merde has created a huge 'graffiti temple' to deal with the present time.
It takes up to 100 hours per image.
According to Dagens Nyheter, Merde described this installation as a form of protest, but a peaceful one. The exact location of the concrete cave remains unspecified, and it is unclear why Merde chose this method to engage with contemporary issues. Additionally, the specific cargo ships, logos, or SMS conversations that Gustav carves have not been detailed, and the public or authorities' responses to both artists' works are unknown.
Now I always seek approval before I start.
This is a sort of protest, but a peaceful protest.