Guide to Gallery Weekend Stockholm 2023: A Celebration of Art and Culture

Returning for a fifth edition, Gallery Weekend Stockholm sets the stage on 10-12 November for 32 of the capital’s most influential galleries that are inviting visitors to a sophisticated experience. The weekend’s activities consist of artist talks, gallery tours, exhibitions, debates, performances, and extended opening hours.

This year’s event revolves around two captivating panel discussions visitors can explore during the weekend. The first one concentrates on the art scene in Stockholm, while the second will serve as an enlightening introduction to the intricate world of artists and galleries. The discourse will encompass a diverse array of subjects, including the methodology of artwork pricing, artistic techniques, editions, and beyond. The discussions will be held in Swedish.

With an extensive detailed map and program, Gallery Weekend Stockholm presents the city’s dynamic and diverse gallery scene, accessible to a wider audience. Highlighting the most cutting-edge contemporary art, this year’s event encounters a new initiative: six guided gallery tours led by art experts. The Gallery Weekend Stockholm’s initiative distinguishes itself through shedding light upon and drawing attention from the audience to all participating galleries, making the experience complete and fulfilling.

From unique polaroid artworks to marvelous pop culture sculptures and musical performances, Stockholm’s most established galleries gathered to offer an exquisite unconventional art escapade. To make the most of it, we recommend this thorough guide for all three days of Gallery Weekend Stockholm 2023:

Day 1: November, 10th

Exploring the inner self at Wetterling Gallery

Wetterling Gallery presents two inspiring exhibitions that invite all visitors to reflect upon the inner self. The first exhibition is Resonance by Astrid Kruse Jensen and it expresses a deeper connection between the individual and the world through eccentric photographs made with expired polaroid films and suspended pieces of glass. This exhibition could be considered an invitation to perceive the resonance of the past in the present moment.

The second exhibition is Orange and Teal by Marjolein Rothman which depicts the concepts of transformation and perception, through a specific color contrast. Rothman’s central elements consist of flowers and self-portraits that suggest the ephemeral nature of existence. This exhibition explores the creation of identities at a deeper level through the transformative attributes of analogue photography, film, and painting.

An Artistic Revelation at Elastic Gallery

A must-visit that never disappoints to impress with its carefully selected work, Elastic Gallery offers an enchanting group show as a surprise event for Gallery Weekend Stockholm 2023. One of the artists who will charm visitors with her metallic artworks is Jamila Drott. Her artistic creations frequently take on the appearance of landscapes, topographical maps, or satellite imagery in her sculptural paintings. Initially, they appear to offer the potential of revealing an alternative realm detached from their tangible nature. However, upon closer examination, they assert their presence as actual, life-sized sculptural elements within the space.

Viktor Fordell’s Show: Celebrating visual storytelling at ISSUES Gallery

Viktor Fordell’s exquisite party at ISSUES Gallery is the perfect opportunity to end the first day gracefully. Entering the gallery, all visitors will be welcomed by a live music performance and DJ set amid the More Diary exhibition. Drawing inspiration from collage, photography, sculpture, and found objects, this exhibition portrays some of the author's most preferred themes such as travel, time, and the enigmatic allure of train stations. Time and space seem to lose significance while being replaced by memories carved in light, texture, and scent. The artist's lens transforms a mere sunset into a tangible, timeless snapshot, offering viewers a glimpse into a traveler's evocative diary.

Day 2: November, 11th

Performance by Tilpo: Solstice at Galleri Hedenius

Taking center stage at Galleri Hedenius, the uniqueness of Tilpo transposes fantastic realms highlighting details from reality into astounding paintings. Within the remarkable and masterfully painted canvases, a contradiction of solemnity and darkness coexists with moments of luminosity and a joyful outlook on the human condition. These multi-layered works provoke contemplation, addressing various phenomena, raising questions, and illuminating complex contexts. Tilpo’s creations trigger an unexpected live journey into one’s feelings, inviting viewers to decipher the enigmatic narratives within the vivid strokes of his brushes.

Going Down Swinging: A Fragmented Story at Larsen Warner Gallery

Combining pop culture with such delicate art is a paradox. This is the artist Truls Mårtensson, who embraces the power of art through unconventional sculptures, inspired by pop culture. His astonishing exhibition Going Down Swinging at Larsen Warner Gallery will capture everyone’s attention through the contrast between the fragility of ceramics and the power of mass culture. This exhibition is represented by a collection of 10 creations that intertwine a fragmented narrative about self-deception, excessive pride, and maintaining appearances alongside other themes.

Guided tour with Sophie Allgårdh: From Ljusbord to neo-expressionism

For a more comprehensive experience, the Östermalm/Gärdet tour with art guide Sophie Allgårdh is a perfect opportunity to engage with artists from four galleries and learn more about Stockholm’s vibrant art scene. Starting with Galleri Glas where several artists are participating with the most impressive creations, and continuing with the exhibition Disrupting Harmony at Public Service Gallery, Nine Lives at Belenius, and Marc Reyner’s artwork at Jan Wallmark Gallery, this walk embraces part of the artistic core of the capital’s culture. 

Galleri Glas will present 10 marvelous artists and their artwork of the Ljusbord vernissage. The delightful glass art crafted by this diverse group of talented artists disperses the hope, humor, and joy we yearn for, especially when the external world communicates in an entirely different manner.

Disrupting Harmony exhibition invites all participants to join an adventure through the intricate dance between chaos and order, where imbalance and steadiness combine to create a rich tapestry of visual and emotional encounters. This selection of artworks, linked by their creators' residence at Palazzo Monti in Brescia, aims to redefine our traditional understanding of harmony by embracing disruption as a fundamental aspect of artistic expression.

At Belenius Gallery visitors can be enchanted by the Nine Lives exhibition by Sally J. Han which has at the center of attention the cats. Her paintings often depict ordinary, cyclical life, where not much extraordinary occurs. However, the rich details in these scenes capture the essence of a quiet, fulfilling day as the core of a unique life.

Marc Rayner’s creations are an expression of his social, historical, and political beliefs. His mixed-media exhibition at the Jan Wallmark Gallery reflects the distorted framework of our current existence as a symbol of neo-expressionism.

Day 3: November, 12th

HOLDERS: Symbolic Reinterpretation at Saskia Neuman Gallery

Beginning the last day with a fika and one lovely artist - Susanna Jablonski - at Saskia Neuman Gallery sounds like a great plan for a good Sunday. Jablonski’s expertise consists of merging delicate materials with found objects in her sculptures, moving image creations, and spatial installations. This skillful blend achieves a near-abstract and finely balanced result. HOLDERS is an unconventional exhibition in which Susanna Jablonski deconstructed one strong symbol of Stockholm, namely the sculpture Weeping Lion (2023) by Anders Årfelt. The artist wanted to portray the interrelation nature and the possible duplicity of the systems that hold the society.

Artistic program at Coulisse Gallery

End Gallery Weekend Stockholm’s fifth edition marvelously by participating in a collaborative exhibition Contemporary Myths and Artifacts (CMA) at Coulisse Gallery. Visitors can enjoy an artist talk with the artist Yngvild Saeter and an artist performance by Hannes Ferm. Yngvild Saeter's art explores themes of life and death, as well as endurance and transformation. Her sculptures are made using motorcycle parts, metal rivets, chains, and pieces of fur.

At CMA, Hannes Ferm will captivate viewers with his artistic performance. He's a performance artist and composer who creates characters inspired by historical and contemporary culture to tell stories about modern society using singing and songwriting. These characters express themes through a mix of musical genres and aesthetics, combining past and present influences. The characters' stories are conveyed through lyrics and songs, often lamenting their circumstances.