Opening Reception: August 15, 2026. Open 12:00–16:00
12:30: Opening ceremony with Sophie Tottie & Rita McBride
13:00: Concert by Alyssa, featuring Dan Johansson & Irma Krook
Exhibition Dates: August 15 – September 27
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 12:00–16:00
Guided Tours: Led by an exhibition guide at 14:00 on Aug 29, Sep 5, Sep 12, and Sep 19.
Press Contact: Jesper Andersson, Exhibition Producer and Curator: jesper.andersson@stromstad.se
From left: Sophie Tottie. Photographer: Vasilis Theodorou, Rita McBride. Photographer: Anne Pöhlmann.
Installation view with works by Sophie Tottie & Rita McBride. Maskineriet (Räkenskaper) / The Machinery (Accounts), 2026, detail. Credit: Sophie Tottie
About the Exhibition
LO·CO·MO·TIVE takes its point of departure in Lokstallet's tradition of bringing together distinct artistic practices and engaging them in dialogue with one another. In this exhibition, Lokstallet itself is brought in as an active participant in the artistic process. Drawing on the building's unique architecture and history, an interdisciplinary conversation has emerged between artists Sophie Tottie, Rita McBride, and Lokstallet.
Ahead of the 2026 exhibition program, the idea arose to produce an exhibition exploring site-specific art—art created in direct dialogue with a specific place, where the work's form and content interact with the spatial, material, and cultural conditions of the room.
Maskineriet (Räkenskaper) I + II / The Machinery (Accounts) I + II, 2026, details (with details from Rita Mc Brides work) Credit: Sophie Tottie
LO·CO·MO·TIVE, exhibition at Lokstallet, Strömstad, August 15 – September 27. Installation view with details of works by Sophie Tottie & Rita McBride: The Machinery (Accounts), 2026; Regata Beta, 2026
Lokstallet's exhibition producer, Jesper Andersson, invited artist Sophie Tottie, who in turn proposed a collaboration with Rita McBride. Both artists share a long-standing interest in how artistic concepts take shape in relation to spatial conditions and social structures.
Beyond their interest in site-specific processes, Sophie Tottie and Rita McBride share a professional relationship dating back to 1990s New York, where they shared a studio in TriBeCa, Manhattan, and participated in several joint exhibitions. They have also connected their artistic practices with significant academic careers: Sophie Tottie served as a professor at both the Malmö Art Academy and the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm, while Rita McBride spent many years as a professor and later director at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Both body of works demonstrate a strong belief in experimentation, learning as a method, and art as a space to investigate how materials, architecture, and societal structures shape our understanding and experience of the world. Decades later, a dialogue resumes between two artistic practices that have evolved in parallel across different geographical and institutional contexts.
LO·CO·MO·TIVE, exhibition at Lokstallet, Strömstad, August 15 – September 27. Installation view with works by Sophie Tottie & Rita McBride. Sveparen (Räkenskaper) / The Sweeper (Accounts), 1917–2026. Photo prints: pigmented ink, paper, wires, wire clips and locks, 9 (59,4 cm x 42 cm) / 9 (23.4 inches x 16.5 inches) Credit: Sophie Tottie
The content of the exhibition was developed through digital discussions, a joint residency at the Artists' Collective Workshop (KKV) Bohuslän, and close collaboration leading up to and during the installation period at Lokstallet.
Lokstallet's own history played a distinct role in shaping the artists' ideas. The building was originally constructed for an industrial purpose—movement, mechanics, engine maintenance, and logistics defined its primary function. Even though its use has evolved, the architecture's original logic remains present in its structure and materials. Railway tracks under the floor, steel cables in the ceiling, and oversized red doors set the tone for every exhibition at Lokstallet. In LO·CO·MO·TIVE, however, these elements serve not merely as a backdrop, but as key components highlighted and utilized in direct relation to the artworks.
More information about Lokstallet in Strömstad.
More information about Lokstallet in Strömstad.
Press contact: Jesper Andersson, Exhibition Producer and Curator, Lokstallet: jesper.andersson@stromstad.se
About Lokstallet
Lokstallet is an art venue in Strömstad presenting contemporary art exhibitions during the summer season. Beyond exhibitions, it hosts concerts, workshops, and other projects from season to season. Stay up to date on upcoming events via our website and social media.
Lokstallet is operated by Strömstad Municipality with support from the Västra Götaland Region.
Lokstallet in Strömstad. Public artworks pictured from left: Eva Hild, Yngve Brothén, Agneta Stening. Photographer: Kristina Gillerstedt
