TOPIA
Fragmentary Process as Creative Principle
by Tina Oelker
MODULES 1–5: BINGO
TOPIA is conceived as a 25-part oil painting.
Each module measures 150 × 150 × 4.5 cm.
Arranged in a 5 × 5 grid, the modules form an overall composition measuring 7.50 × 7.50 metres.
ABSTRACT LANDSCAPE
Topío (τοπίο) is Greek for “landscape.”
25 COLOURS
TOPIA builds on 25 Colours Stockholm, Tina Oelker’s ongoing artistic programme since 2015. The colour concept underlies both the individual imprimaturas of the 25 modules and the overall composition.
Principle & Process
TOPIA is an abstract work shaped by a fragmentary process. Its 25 autonomous modules function as distinct fragments, each revealing its full potential within the evolving overall constellation. The work unfolds as an abstract landscape, navigating psychological and archetypal layers.
The development of the composition within its predefined structure, while remaining open throughout the painting process, is central to the work. The finished painting becomes a state from which momentum emerges, documented in parallel through the Veracity Report. With the completion of the 25th module, TOPIA becomes one coherent painting.
The term Topia derives from the Greek word topio (τοπίο), meaning “landscape.” The modular structure is a deliberate principle of the work, allowing the abstract landscape to unfold module by module.
2024 – 2026
The work began with a simple sketch: a square divided into 25 fields, each grounded in a different colour. From there, TOPIA evolved through painting itself. The composition unfolded step by step until the fragments became one coherent painting.
Initiated in July 2024 and written every two weeks, the Veracity Report documents the process alongside the painting.
Coming up: Studio Evening, 7 November 2026
VERACITY REPORT
A proper report on ever-shifting perspectives within the fragmentarily unfolding landscape of TOPIA, released every other week from July 2024 to January 2026.
Artist Notes
I began with an initial sketch: a circle within a square, divided into 25 fields. I primed each field in a different colour, establishing a defined starting condition. I then worked in an open, process-driven way, allowing the composition to unfold module by module. As only a maximum of six modules could be worked on simultaneously, their arrangement was repeatedly adjusted throughout the process. TOPIA took shape through the painting process itself and is now complete as a coherent abstract landscape.