Get to Know the Swedish Art Scene

Carl and Lovisa are a creative, innovative duo, and we’re so lucky to have them in the Affordable Art Fair Stockholm team. As experts in the local art market and having a passion for maintaining the Swedish art ecosystem, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to sit them down and get to know the Swedish art scene better before their fair (5 – 8 October, 2023).

Lovisa Smyth Vasseur | Fair Manager

Having previously managed the Stockholm fair several years ago, Lovisa just couldn’t stay away! She returned to the team in 2021, bringing with her a diverse wealth of experience in events management. Lovisa is always on the hunt for new artwork to add to her collection and has recently developed a fascination with contemporary glass sculpture.

The first piece she ever bought was by Jakob Solgren, who featured in the Recent Graduate exhibition at the Stockholm fair in 2013. This was the first time she fell in love with art, and has since been led by her gut when it comes to making art-buying decisions. She tends to avoid being swept away by ‘trends’ or ruminating on whether an artwork will fit into her interior vision. Rather, Lovisa simply listens to her heart when she finds a piece she falls in love with.

Carl Wilhelm-Hirsch | Fair Director

Coincidentally, Carl discovered the first pieces of art in his ever-growing collection at Affordable Art Fair Stockholm in 2013, nine years before he joined as our incredible Fair Director. Having just moved into his first apartment, he was excited to find something he really loved, and landed on a piece by Cecilia Haupt. Since then, his local Affordable Art Fair has remained a must-see event every autumn.

When it comes to collecting artworks, Carl only looks at a piece for what it is and how it speaks to him. A large proportion of the artwork on his walls have significant sentimental value, which means he’ll love them for a lifetime and never feels the desire to take them down or re-hang. 

Over to Carl and Lovisa!

What defining commonalities are you noticing in the art world generally, and then particularly within the Stockholm/Swedish art scene?

Lovisa:

Globally, we can see increased interest in sculptural formats across all sorts of mediums and styles. As well as this, figurative art has seen an uptake, especially when it comes to oil paintings.

In terms of how this sits in Sweden, we’ve invited three resident professionals to highlight the zeitgeist within the Swedish art scene, for which they will curate one exhibition each that casts a light on both individual talents and broader mediums that showcase the Swedish ‘style’ at the moment. These exhibitions will join together to create our ‘Spotlight’ section, which is a new feature for the fair this year.

Are you expecting to see any particular mediums/techniques/subject matters rise in popularity at this year’s fair?

Carl:

Sculpture and exclusive, or limited edition, collectible items are certainly on the rise in Stockholm.

There’s also an expanding interest in the discussion around AI generated art.

Who is to be considered the real artist? How should AI art be categorized? These are important questions that our exhibitors will aim to speak to.

Lovisa:

We’re seeing a shift from the digital focus on NFT back to physical pieces. Bold and colourful abstract pieces are definitely peaking interest, with a return to importance on larger installations and conceptual art that takes inspiration from, rather than being entirely absorbed by, video games or new technologies.

Diana Markosian’s ‘Santa Barbra’ show at Fotografiska (open until the 27 August) this summer will also be a highlight for me. It’s set to capture the imbalance between the imagined American dream versus the actual immigrant experience. Not one to miss for those interested in photography and film.

Carl:

I’ll definitely be attending the new Artipelag exhibition ‘På armlängds avstånd’, which is a collective show featuring chiefly Nordic artists and their relationship, at an arm’s length, to 20^th century European art movements.

Which artists or galleries are on your radar right now?

Lovisa:

I’m currently on the hunt for more sculpture and am absolutely obsessed with Tove Tengå’s graphical ceramics. Manon Steyaert’s knotted silicone pieces and Tal Hehoray’s ceramic ‘happy pills’ are also on my wish list.

Carl:

The recently opened Andys Gallery in Stockholm has piqued my interest, with their previous exhibition by Gitte Eidslott being a personal favourite.

I’m look forward to seeing YOYO-Nasty exhibiting this year and will be keeping an eye on Galleri Glas, who will be presenting Sigge Billgren’s acrylic paintings until 18 May, as well as at our fair in October. 

And finally, how are plans shaping up for the fair this year, and what can visitors look forward to?

Lovisa:

It’s always a pleasure to sit down and chat all things art with Carl and Lovisa. Under their expert curatorial eyes, Affordable Art Fair Stockholm will take place 5 – 8 October 2023 at Nacka Strandsmässan. With so many exciting new additions to the programme, as well as their focus on Swedish galleries, it’s set to be a week of deep diving into the very best of contemporary art.

Main image: Tove Tengå, ‘Between object and image’, 2021