Fascinated by assembling objects from model kits as a child, Michael Johansson transforms everyday objects into models of themselves. Taking away their original purpose, the life-size kits hold a commentary on today’s ways of living. In his first piece from the series, TOYS’R’US, a boat and related equipment are joined together in a welded metal frame. Everything is painted in a unifying plastic layer to resemble the surface of a model kit.
Reversing the steps in the line of production, in Some Assembly Required, parts from bikes and scooters are turned back into a space of imagination and spin concepts such as size and belonging. The title of the series taken from a commonly found phrase on the boxes for model kits, reminding buyers of their participatory role, points out to the role expected from the audience in finding references and therefore giving shape and meaning to the works.