in memoriam

Kristiina Kohlemainen, summer 2011

She was missing on her own festival, the SPX 2012 in Stockholm. And still, as Lisa Medin described it so striking, it was like we allways saw her  in the corner of our eyes. Like she would run around, chatting and cackling, electrifying us with her enthusiasm. 

Since she lost her fight against cancer one month ago, the SPX and the comics library lost its excellent spirit. But the last weekend showed that the shock of her death had created an enormous energy to honor her work and to carry on with it. Anders Lundgren and Ola Hellsten, her former co-workers are willing to organize the next festivals and they already did a good job with this one. 

There are plans to establish a grant "to install something permanent in Kristiinas name" (Thomas Karlsson) for international exchange, female artists or else ... the themes are not finally set. 

Celebration in Kristiinas memory at the Kulturhuset. 

Benoit Mouchart, artistic director of the cultural programming of Angoulême International Comics Festival is holding a memorial speech.

Josefin Svenske at the stand of Kolik förlag 

Lina Neidestam  and a mask of the face of one of her heros. A fan made it.
right: Lisa Medin

Josefin Svenske, Fabian Göranson & son Ivan are opening the buffet.

Love at first sight: comic book by Åsa Grennvall.

Elin Fahlstedt and boyfriend

Yet it was a sad sunny festival.