What does JFK and YSL have in common, apart from their undeniable love for a good suit. Did OBL ever listen to rap music and if so, what was his opinion of OBD’s milestone debut album? Have the honorable RBG and RZA, formerly known as Prince Rakeem, ever before appeared side by side?
In A-FL M.FL.*, A-FL summons a motley crew of political figures, artists and sports personalities who all share one common trait with the author – namely being known by three-letter acronyms, or more accurately; three-letter initialisms. In this small artist’s book, each subject appears in alphabetical order, represented by a portrait and their initials. An appropriate way of reading the book is in the rhythmical fashion of the song ‘Initials’, from the popular musical ‘Hair’. Its final verse consists solely of three-letter acronyms and is sung in C major: “LBJ IRT USA LSD. LSD LBJ FBI CIA. FBI CIA LSD LBJ.”
Trivia
The book’s colophon page pays homage to the early days in the history of the book, when manuscripts were traditionally copied by hand by monks. In those days, a common colophon was simply “Finished, thank God.”. The God in question is Harpocrates, the God of Silence, rendered in an engraving by Jan Muller (1571-1628), dated to 1593.
*M.FL. Is a common Swedish abbreviation for ’med flera’, translating to ’and others’ (/etc.)
biography
A-FL (b. 1985) lives and works in Gothenburg, Sweden. The artist’s conceptual point of departure is often a found object—whether tangible or intangible. From urban debris collected on the street to artefacts sourced at flea markets, such materials are treated as ready-made components in assemblages: ingredients, visual cues, or prompts. These objets trouvés may also take immaterial forms—a discovered word or phrase, an idea—ripe for appropriation or inviting a response.
Using the book as a vehicle for exploring questions of identity, language and culture, A-FL has published a number of editions with LL’Editions. In 2021, he released the book Första Januari, published by Hundörat Small Press, Stockholm. The artist’s book was proof-read by the legendary Swedish artist and Fluxus pioneer Bengt af Klintberg. A-FL’s recent releases include For Your Tears, a multiple made in collaboration with Heimo Zobernig (AU) and Simon Iurino (IT), Imposter Syndrome, a multiple released in 2023, Mixed Blessing; a multiple consisting of 100 needles and an aspirin in a medicine bottle, and Bergmans Banaliteter (Bergman’s Banalities), published by Farozonen Förlag in 2024.
