Facts: Nine of the autumn exhibitions
“Ernst Josephson – art, poetry and music”
The first major monographic exhibition of Ernst Josephson’s art in over 20 years. Waldemarsudde, Stockholm. 9 September–11 January 2023.
“Woman Life Freedom” by Mandana Moghaddam.
Iranian artist who works in Sweden and makes art about people, migration and feminism. Inaugurated on the anniversary of Mahsa Jina Amini’s death in Tehran. The Bildmuseet, Umeå. 16 September–7 April 2024.
“Let a hundred flowers bloom”.
Textile works by Elsa Pärs-Berglund that are exhibited with works by contemporary artisans. Röhs Museum, Gothenburg. 18 November–15 September 2024.
Ingela Ihrman
In Ingela Ihrman’s largest presentation to date, she examines emotions in everyday life such as desire, longing and curiosity. Malmö Art Gallery. 30 September–14 January 2024.
Moki Cherry
She combines painting, sculpture, textile, fashion and scenography in a visual world with naïve symbols and people. Moderna Museum Malmö. 23 September–3 March 2024.
“Psychological Rooms”
Contemporary Nordic artists show interpretations of reality where viewers should be able to project their own feelings and memories. The Nordic Watercolor Museum, Skärhamn. 24 September–28 January 2024.
“Almost there. Maria Friberg”
The artist Maria Friberg has chosen art from the couple Thiel’s art collection from the turn of the last century, which she reflects in a selection of her own photographic works and videos. Thielska gallery. 16 September–3 March 2024.
“Something dark stood at the five thresholds of our minds without crossing them”
Sara Vide-Ericson and Tilda Lovell exhibit together, with evocative paintings and installations about wordless experiences of nature. Bonnier Art Gallery, Stockholm. 30 August–29 October.
“Private nature”, Jens Assur
Photography exhibition about the smallness of man in front of nature. Liljevalchs, Stockholm. 6 October–7 January 2024.
This fall, an exhibition about romanticism was to be shown at the National Museum, but it has now been postponed until next year. An exhibition about Swedish car design is also being moved forward, and instead the spring investment “Trädgården – art and nature under six centuries” is being extended.
— Before the budget work in 2023, we saw that we could not afford to produce the exhibition about romanticism. That is our explanation for fewer things happening this autumn, says Per Hedström, Acting Superintendent of the National Museum.
He says that the museum’s finances are really strained.
— It is a consequence of the increased interest rates and electricity prices that affect the costs we have for the property on Blasieholmen, which are absolutely sky-high and actually threaten to lower the National Museum’s operations for time and eternity. It’s a catastrophic situation that we need help solving.
International trend
The National Museum will now have fewer exhibitions that are shown for longer periods. The positive side is that it benefits both the climate and the economy, emphasizes Per Hedström.
The Moderna Museet has already introduced this. With sustainability as a guiding light, last year they paused the long-distance transports and invested in letting artists create on site instead. This is also how many museums abroad have started working, according to museum director Gitte Ørskou.
— This is something we talk about a lot internationally. We think more long-term and work with the pace, it is important that there is a common understanding of a different pace at the art museums, she says and explains that the exhibitions now last five to six months instead of three to four.
But both she and Per Hedström say that it can be difficult with long exhibitions due to private loans of art. But between five and eight months usually works, says Gitte Ørskou.
Engages the audience longer
The Bildmuseet in Umeå is another museum that has started to think along the same lines. For a while, the museum had up to twelve exhibitions per year, each of which was shown for two to three months, which museum director Katarina Pierre has worked to reduce.
— We have to think about how we manage our resources in a better way. It can both be about finances but also about personnel. Of course, the climate impact also comes into play in terms of resources, she says.
The Bildmuseet’s big investment from last spring, “Down to the North”, will remain until next spring. Katarina Pierre has not noticed fewer visitors as a result. Perhaps because the museum also deepens the exhibition with program activities and seminars.
“We want to work more qualitatively over time instead of just having quick changes,” she says.
Gitte Ørskou reasons in the same way, who believes that the development is good for the audience.
— If the exhibitions are only for three months, people don’t have time to see them. Therefore, we have also experienced great audience interest and this gives us the opportunity to put together a program where we offer events and talks that activate the audience for a longer period of time.
Must attract people
But Per Hedström sees a risk with the development. Last year, the National Museum sold fewer tickets and he believes that it is still difficult to get back to visitor levels before the corona pandemic.
— At the same time as we must work in a good way with climate impact, what we produce needs to be interesting, current and relevant. It must not feel like it is “only” the collections in new constellations. We do a lot of that, but it is noticeable that it is more difficult to get an impact for that type of concept than for solo exhibitions, he says.
Ernst Josephson will be shown at Waldemarsudde this autumn. Here his “Gåslisa”, from 1888–89. Press photo.