In a Heartbeat

The artwork In a Heartbeat is a sound and video installation, deeply rooted in the Red Cross’s humanitarian mission and its recognition through the Nobel Peace Prize. They have been awarded the prize three times: in 1917, 1944 and 1963.

In a Heartbeat is built of authentic voices and archival material collected by the artist Charlotte Landelius from the global network of volunteers for the Red Cross. Fragmented testimonies and soundscapes are woven into poetic compositions. Combining responses from volunteers from around the world who were interviewed by the artist, the artwork answers the question ‘Why do we care?’

The installation is divided by a horizon line. Above and below this line, archival material unfolds in layers that blend documentary traces with abstract textures. The surrounding red light evokes both the beating of a heart and the emblem of the Red Cross, transforming the space into an immersive environment of urgency and compassion. In a Heartbeat is a reflection on solidarity, both personal and collective, echoing the everyday courage of volunteers and the shared responsibility of humanity.

Charlotte Landelius

Charlotte Landelius is a Swedish visual artist and filmmaker whose practice moves between painting, sculpture, and video-based installations. Her work intricately weaves complex emotional narratives, often grounded in themes such as shame, love, memory, and relationships.

Symbols like the ship, the sea, and the horizon recur throughout her practice, embodying dualities of life and death, freedom and confinement, longing and fear.

With a background in film and editing, Landelius brings a sensitivity to rhythm and presence that infuses her moving image and spatial installations, creating poetic reflections on memory and the fragile thresholds that connect us.

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