Phil Collins "the world won't listen"

It's a sweltering day in June and visiting a museum is perhaps not the first thing that comes to mind, especially since that kind of weather is more exception than rule in Stockholm. However it proved to be the perfect setting in which to visit Phil Collin's exhibition in an old chocolate factory turned art museum in Sundbyberg, just north of the city. Outside the entrance you are greeted by the vista of a beautiful park which reminded me of an English garden and inside there is a café serving tasty lunches.

the world won't listen is a video piece in which Smiths-fans from Indonesia, Turkey and Colombia sing karaoke versions of the songs from this famous album. The exhibition is divided into three screenings in the same room although divided by walls so that the music and three different karaoke singers are played simultaneously. Then you can choose which one you want to watch or walk between them. My friend and I were alone in the exhibition so we ran back and forth and sang along and danced! The room was pitch-black and sound-proofed with the volume of a rock concert.

It was fun to watch all the men and women in different ages sing the songs in their own way. You could tell that most of them had very personal ties to the Smiths and lost themselves in the music whilst others were a bit embarrassed. Morrissey's lyrics manage to capture the different emotions and experiences of a human being which the singers expressed through their performances. One that stuck with me was a mid-twenties Colombian guy who sang "Asleep" with such intensity that you could see the tears in his eyes. Another is the sixties-styled Indonesian couple singing "There is a light". (See clip above... There are more on youtube but I really recommend you to visit the exhibition if you get the chance!).

Spending warm summer days inside... as Moz croons put me in the mindset and flunged me back to my seventeen year old self when I first discovered them. What I find fascinating is how The Smiths have gained an audience in all corners of the world which shows that we all can relate to the themes of the lyrics in some way. The Swedish television programme "Kobra" recently did a piece on the the band's popularity in Mexico.

Phil Collins shares this fascination for how mass media and popular culture affects and shapes the lives of its consumers. He uses pop culture, low budget tv and reportage-style documentaries to explore these relationships. In a day and age when everyone can be a star the need to be unique becomes more desperate.

The theme of fandom is also visible in the series of letters that a young Morrissey wrote to music magazines in London. There are also some large prints of defaced posters of Britney Spears photographed in New York's subway.

the world won't listen is on until 24/7. For more info visit Marabouparkens website.