Plastic Can Never Wither
Louise Sinaga Helmfrid
Plastic Can Never Wither is a photo series that explores the relationship between the Southeast & East Asian diaspora and Sweden. In 2023, Louise Sinaga Helmfrid began a project inspired by the first Asian person she saw on Swedish television, Editha Domingo, in the role of Nena in Jägarna (1996). This led her to begin investigating how and in what forms the diaspora is seen in Sweden. In a lack of interest in reporting on misrepresentation, a desire was born instead to create an archive of real stories.
The title is a tribute to the plastic flowers, which culturally connect Asia and are in many cases perceived as “cheap”, but in the same way as archives – are forever.
The people in the portraits are all there because they have a special place in the legacy we leave behind. Without Tobias Hübinette, for example, we might not have had the language to talk about ethnicity and race in Sweden in the way we can today. Without Maria Jisoo Edman and Henrik Erngren Othén, fewer people would have hoped to be reunited with their siblings and meet in the incredible after-separation that adoption entails. Without Editha Domingo, this project would never have existed. But it doesn't end there, I expect the portraits to grow. Let this exhibit serve as a reminder that plastic can never wither.
