BOB180 | Wood, Quartz Crystal, and Acrylics | 74" x 20" x 12" | 2017

Artist Statement: BOB180 is a handcrafted conceptual video game system based around barrel distortion. A bubble head resting on top of a tree-legged stand made from ash. The white acrylic dome is backlit by a built-in projector—creating fantastic new renderings of classic arcade games. The spherical display eliminates over-defined boundaries and thereby amplifies the sense of space and freedom. The associated cubic trackball controller is wireless and uses a big white quartz crystal for navigation. BOB180 is height adjustable and can be customized accordingly.

BOB180 was specifically made for Love Hultén's solo show at Gallery Magnus Winström, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Love Hultén fuses traditional craftsmanship with new technology, creating unique objects in an unexpected merging of form and function.

The works are often based on personal fragments of the past—digital journeys of a curious young boy. As such, they could be seen as digital shrines. But they also suggest a different perspective on how to relate and interact. By playing with preconceptions about art and design— the social, cultural and historical relations to objects we all share—he tears consensual connections apart and provides a new context. He gives objects new functions, new values, and breaks given patterns. He aims to breathe life into objects, adding unforeseen functionality as well as mystique—in order to present genuine and attractive alternatives to contemporary appliances.

Hultén is dedicated perfectionist who dives deep into materials. But delicate execution simply isn’t enough—every detail must serve a purpose. It can be highly conceptual, but the object must feel real, natural, and honest.