Skull On Fire 2010

Editor: Here we have Kristoffer Zetterstrand's "Skull On Fire" from 2010, rendered in oil. The combination of the classic skull with pixelated flames feels strangely unsettling and also quite contemporary. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It strikes me immediately as a modern-day *memento mori*, a reflection on mortality framed by our digital age. The skull, a long-standing symbol of death, is disrupted by these pixelated flames, almost as if death itself is glitching or being reinterpreted through a digital lens. Editor: So, you’re saying that the digital elements update a classic image. The blocky pixels resemble flames, but it's like fire rendered through Minecraft. Curator: Precisely. The pixelated flames introduce an element of playfulness but also a sense of distance. Does the fire consume the skull, or does it adorn it, like a crown? I also wonder, what does the landscape represent? Is it a space of peace, or purgatory? Editor: That’s interesting. The green checkered landscape could just be a simple background but perhaps also another visual metaphor for the digital world, as this world grows to meet death as an idea. What about the large pixelated patch in the top left background? Is that related to the theme? Curator: The large pixel could represent both the moon and our connection to the world; its ambiguous glow in the distant space speaks volumes. Zetterstrand offers us a commentary on the transient nature of both life and digital existence. What did you take away from this art work? Editor: I like that Zetterstrand’s use of recognizable digital symbols prompts consideration of mortality. The painting certainly moved my expectations. Curator: Indeed. It’s a reminder that symbols evolve and accumulate layers of meaning, carrying echoes of the past into the present.