Henrik Håkansson (b. 1968 Sweden) studies the human condition and its relationship to Nature, He treads the borders between Earth’s ecosystems and mankind, treating the complex relations between humans, animals and plants, as aesthetic material for his work. The poetics and simplicity of his modes of expression have far reaching implications for his video projections, sound works, and installations. For example, in one instance Håkansson let crickets perform a rock concert using the PA system in a gallery,. Another time he made a film of frogs dancing to techno music, and for the exhibition RETHINK- Relations, he observed butterflies in their natural habitat. By introducing nature into the art forum he strives to close the gap with nature and to make the viewer more aware of natural processes.

In 1993, Håkansson completed his education at Konstfack in Stockholm and has since then he has participated in several exhibitions including the Venice Biennale (2003); Dunkers Kulturhus, Helsingborg, Sweeden; Sao Paulo Biennale Brazil (2004); Le Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Art Basel Miami Beach (2006), Galleria Franco Noero, Torino Italy; Museo Rufino Tamayo de Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico; and Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge, England. Håkansson is lives between Galtabäck, London, and Berlin.

Henrik Håkansson first came to that Gardner in March of 2003 and spent his mornings and evenings exploring the rich natural habitat in and around the museum and becoming familiar with native bird songs with the use of a parabolic dish. Håkansson wandered through the galleries photographing elements of the collection as well as viewing several textiles that are currently in storage. He made several trips to Harvard University, where he met with specialists in the fields of Ornithology, Chiropterology, and Entomology and toured the Museum of Natural History in New York and its collection of rare bird specimens. He was introduce to E. O. Wilson, an eminent scientist in the field of biology whose writings had been pivotal in Håkansson development as an artist

In 2004, Håkansson returned for a week to continue his research in the collection and again to visit the Ornithology Department at Harvard. Here he revisited a rare specimen of Spix’s Macaw, a species poached to extinction in its natural habitat Brazil and now living only in captivity. The bird later became the centerpiece of his 2006 exhibition, Cyanopsitta spixii Case Study #001, which critiqued the culture and psychology of collecting. The exhibition posed as a cautionary admonition of the unexpected consequences of exploration, collecting and poaching. Also in conjunction with this exhibition 2001 AIR Dan Harvey came to speak about his voyages to the High Arctic with collaborator Heather Ackroyd and their work, which highlights the effects of climate change on this fragile and extraordinary place.