The work of Swedish artist Ann-Sofi Sidén deals with issues such as vulnerability, control, or surveillance. Combining methods derived from journalism, feature film, and scientific research, her sculptures and video-installations scrutinize political, economic, and social structures and the impact of these structures upon social behavior, identity formation, and the psychology of individuals and groups in society.

- 3 MPH, the Conquest, (August 2, 2002), 2002
is a still from the artist's video entitled 3 MPH (three miles per hour) from 2002/2003. The video was filmed during a 25-day ride on horseback that the artist undertook in Texas. The ride started in San Antonio and ended at Ground Control NASA's space research center in Houston. The 35-minute film shot in panorama format is a cut through a stream of present-day Texas social and cultural layers. It gently outlines the social behaviors by exoticizing exclusion mechanisms that characterize western history. The video becomes a chronicle of Sidén's many encounters with people she meets during the three-week journey. The still depicts the final part of the video, that being her arrival at NASA space research center. With the artist in the foreground of the image, and the NASA control center in the background, the picture becomes an ironic commentary on the gender stereotypes tied to cowboy culture and conquership, and their depiction through history, a much alive reality, as experienced by artist during her trip through Texas.



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