Press release -
Frida Fjellman creates unique sculpture for Nationalmuseum
Thanks to a donation from the Bengt Julin Fund, part of the Friends of Nationalmuseum, Nationalmuseum’s newly-renovated building will feature a unique artistic adornment. The artist Frida Fjellman has created a sculpture in glass, wood and metal.
The sculpture, which is 7.5 metres high and is currently being created, will be there to welcome visitors from 13 October next to a newly constructed staircase between the cloakroom in the lower ground floor and the entrance level.
“It’s amazing to be able to contribute to the incorporation of such a fine piece of work in Nationalmuseum’s building in connection with the museum’s reopening on 13 October,” says Ann Westin, Chair of the Bengt Julin Fund.
Frida Fjellman’s piece entitled Venus in glass was selected by a jury in a competition featuring invited artists. The jury consisted of the board of the Bengt Julin Fund augmented by representatives from Nationalmuseum.
“It is with tremendous gratitude that we will receive this gift, and we look forward to seeing the finished sculpture. Nationalmuseum’s collections include older paintings, sculptures, art on paper as well as applied art and design until the present day. As Frida Fjellman likes to refer to herself as a craftsperson, the piece will be a great way of offering a hint of what can be experienced in the museum,” says Susanna Pettersson, Director General of Nationalmuseum.
Frida Fjellman (born 1971) has extensive experience of public decoration in both Sweden and abroad. She has enjoyed successes that include highly rated site-specific installations in the Art Basel art show and at the Design Miami trade fair. In spring 2018 her solo exhibition Crystal Atmosphere was displayed at the Hostler Borrows gallery in New York.
The Bengt Julin Fund was founded in 1995 to contribute to the purchasing of applied art for the museum’s collections. The fund, which is the second biggest within the Friends of Nationalmuseum, also awards the Young Applied Artists grant every other year.
“We need funds and private donors who, together with Nationalmuseum, are building the leading art and design collection in the Nordic region. This donation is a good example of collaboration that benefits both art and the visitor,” says Susanna Pettersson, Director General of Nationalmuseum.
For more information
Mattias Robertson, Press Officer, Nationalmuseum, press@nationalmuseum.se, +46 (0)8 5195 4398
Ann Westin, Chair, Bengt Julin Fund, +46 (0)70-544 10 80
Rolf Julin, Bengt Julin Fund, +46 (0)70-590 42 82
Frida Fjellman, artist, frida@fridafjellman.com, www.fridafjellman.com
Nationalmuseum is Sweden’s museum of art and design. The collections comprise older paintings, sculpture, drawings and graphic art, and applied art and design up to the present day. The museum building is currently under renovation and scheduled to open again October 13, 2018. Nationalmuseum has partnerships with Svenska Dagbladet and the Grand Hôtel Stockholm.