• Groundbreaking Avant-Garde Art Exhibition at RAVINEN Kulturhus

    Written by Natalia Muntean

    Showcasing a remarkable collection of international and Nordic art from the late 20th century, the spring exhibition at RAVINEN Kulturhus, titled “Gärna avantgardistisk konst” (Willingly Avant-Garde Art), will offer visitors a rare chance to explore one of the most important art collections of the era.

    The exhibition, running from February 1 to May 18, 2025, was made possible by the generous donation of Jules and Karin Schyl to Malmö Konsthall.
    Curated by Sune Nordgren, former director of Malmö Konsthall, the exhibition provides an intimate and insightful look into avant-garde art, featuring over 150 works by renowned artists such as Donald Baechler, Gilbert & George, Antony Gormley, Per Kirkeby, Claes Oldenburg, Yasse Tabuchi, and Jules Schyl himself. The Schyls' 1983 donation, which included a portfolio of shares and an art-filled studio, was intended to support the acquisition of contemporary and avant-garde works, reflecting their passion for innovative art.

    Sune Nordgren, the exhibition's curator, emphasised the personal and historical significance of the collection: “With this exhibition, a circle is closed. It feels like a cherished reunion, where we encounter works that have retained their power and others that may not have been fully appreciated when first shown thirty years ago. Like people, some artworks have aged gracefully, while others have proven more relevant today than we once thought.”

    “Gärna avantgardistisk konst” promises to be a captivating journey through the bold and experimental spirit of avant-garde art, offering visitors a chance to engage with works that continue to inspire and provoke.

  • Monika Sosnowska brings to life a royal vision in Djurgården

    Written by Natalia Muntean

    Bridging past and present in a new artwork, the 2025 Artist of the Year announced by The Princess Estelle Cultural Foundation draws inspiration from royal history. Born in 1972, in Poland, Monika Sosnowska is one of Europe’s most important contemporary artists. Recognised for her architectural installations and sculptures mirroring social circumstances marked by transition, Sosnowska looks for inspiration in locations and buildings that have seen their functions changed or lost completely.

    'Museum', this year's monumental sculpture, explores a royal museum project to be created by King Karl XIV Johan, the first of the Bernadotte dynasty, in 1830, but which never materialised. Eleven marble pieces that have been waiting patiently for almost 200 years in storage will be given a second life by being integrated into six free-standing concrete structures, cast on site. The units can be seen as traces or memories of a building; a wall section, a portal, a pillar or a staircase. The five-metre-high composition is open and fragmented as if the non-existent museum were under construction or in ruins.

    “Monika Sosnowska’s sculpture for Royal Djurgården is based on a story that very few people are familiar with. We look forward to bringing history to life through this unique and magnificent installation. Karl XIV Johan’s art museum never materialised, but we are extremely grateful that Monika Sosnowska’s Museum is now being realised,” says Sara Sandström, Executive Director of the Princess Estelle Cultural Foundation.

    The work Museum for the Princess Estelle Sculpture Park will be Sosnowska’s first public work in the Nordic region and it will be inaugurated on June 3rd, 2025. Sosnowska’s works have been displayed at Centre Pompidou, Serpentine Gallery, Hayward Gallery, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Sculpture Center New York, Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Museum of Modern Art Warsaw and Kunstmuseum Basel, and others. Sosnowska represented Poland at the Venice Biennale in 2007 and has participated in the Biennale on several other occasions.

    The Princess Estelle Cultural Foundation (PREKS) was founded in 2019 at the initiative of the Crown Princess Couple with the mission to promote cultural activities in Sweden, highlighting the Royal Family’s conviction that art and cultural activities are essential to an open, modern society. The first five permanent artworks in the Princess Estelle Sculpture Park are by Alice Aycock, Elmgreen & Dragset, Yinka Shonibare CBE, Charlotte Gyllenhammar, and Giuseppe Penone.

  • CHANEL HAUTE COUTURE SPRING SUMMER 2025

    Written by Jahwanna Berglund

    The Chanel Spring-Summer 2025 Haute Couture collection was a dazzling celebration of the House’s timeless codes and Gabrielle Chanel’s revolutionary spirit. Set beneath the iconic dome of the Grand Palais, the double C infinity runway, imagined by scenographer Willo Perron, symbolized the endless creativity of Chanel. The show was a star-studded affair, with Dua Lipa, Pamela Anderson, and Kylie Jenner gracing the front row, adding to the allure of the Parisian morning.

    The collection unfolded like a symphony of color, moving from the soft hues of dawn to the deep tones of twilight. A pyjama-style ensemble in silk crêpe set the stage for a sunshine-yellow tweed suit, a lilac dress with box pleats, and a mimosa-hued dress suit adorned with delicate pink flounces. Bold contrasts came alive in an orange-pink coat layered over a purple jacquard dress and a red chiffon stardust gown, while a sky-blue puffed cape and a white sequined dress paired with a champagne tweed coat evoked a sense of modern fairytale glamour.

    Details took center stage, with graphic and multicolored braids, linings in shimmering satin shades, and celestial buttons fashioned into suns, moons, and camellias. The interplay of fabrics, from painted lace to embroidered chiffon, added texture and depth, creating trompe l’oeil effects that reimagined traditional tweed. Accessories followed suit, with strappy shoes in a palette ranging from sky blue to cream, complementing the vivid story of the collection.

    Celebrating 110 years of Chanel Haute Couture, the collection was a testament to its enduring legacy of beauty, innovation, and excellence. As Gabrielle Chanel once said, “Comfort has forms. Love has colors,” and this collection embodied that ethos to perfection.

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