Retro future: Simon Stålenhag on sci-fi, dystopia and defying AI

Though Simon Stålenhag’s extraordinary artworks – meticulously depicted landscapes featuring otherworldly machines – are unmistakably sci-fi, the renowned Swedish artist and author is more concerned with the past than the future. Born of an obsession with throwback technology and a certain potent nostalgia, Stålenhag’s work imagines a universe that sparks verdant fandom and has led to a top-rated Netflix film. We meet with the artist in his ephemera-filled home to delve into his singular dystopian vision