Scrolling through their social media pages, it’s hard to understand what it is that Grebnellaw do. Standing at an intersection between art, music, fashion, and performance, its a sort of hybrid that produces exciting results. The brainchild of visual artist, performer, and singer/songwriter Paulina Wallenberg-Olsson, the creative endeavor addresses contemporary issues, while also acting as a liberating force from social pressure and prejudice.
But it’s perhaps its colors that stand out most. Using exclusively red, white, and black, its color pallet is meant to alarm you but only just. “I think while growing up I had a volume of The Red and the Black by Stendahl in my bookshelf and later it was referenced by Jacques Brel in his song ‘Me Me Quitte Pas,’” recalled Wallenberg-Olsson in an interview with Totally Stockholm, explaining her choice of color. “I actually never read the book, but I was intrigued by the title, the anarchist colors. For me, I thought red and white would make a more relevant marriage – it’s minimalistic, a reduction, a way to deal with the multiple choices of capitalism. It’s also saying we’re pretty – but don’t eat us, we are deadly!”
Most of Grebnellaw’s performances are site-specific, using the “three-minute-pop song” format. By doing so, they blend together pop music, visual art, and performance to create a mind-boggling experience that’s part visual, part aural. It’s an experience that has caught the attention of the Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, and even the Coliseum in Rome – all of which have hosted this unique group.
But you can also follow them from afar by following them on Instagram.
