Sydosten United returns to the Kalmar art museum in a new, exciting format and with heightened ambitions. The investment in Sydosten United is part of developing the jury-judged salon, which for many years has been a valued part of Kalmar Art Museum’s exhibition program. The salon is open to applications from both amateurs and professional artists who have some connection to the landscapes of the Southeast.
New for 2022 will be the introduction of a theme, it will be “Our National Museum”.
About the theme, Markus Emilsson, the exhibition’s curator, says:
“If we in Småland, Blekinge and Öland were to create our own pavilion at the National Museum, one that represents our south-eastern part of the nation, how would we like it to look? How would our identity be painted? Which form and image worlds would be given space? What themes would take center stage?”
We want to investigate it with the participants and create a Southeast at the Kalmar art museum in 2022 that describes us. An exhibition that embraces both amateurs and professionals and that holds both tradition and innovation. A salon where our artistic language tells about life here. About homes, nature and culture. Artwork that speaks of our desires, fears, questions and dreams.
In the run-up to Southeast United 2022, Kalmar Art Museum has chosen to merge art, design, crafts and handicrafts. They are different forms of materializing but they are united under a common umbrella of storytelling. They constitute alternative languages for exploring, describing and questioning our surroundings and existence. The hope for Sydosten United 2022 is a rich dialogue with many expressions where painting, video, wood carving, photography, silver, glass, textile, metal, papier mâché, plastic beads, soap craft and much more can tell about us, here and now, and create a Southeastern National Museum 2022.
Just over 400 people, with over 1,200 works, applied for this year’s exhibition, which, just like in previous years, was open to everyone, both professionals and amateurs, with connections to the three regions in the southeast: Småland, Blekinge and Öland. The jury has now convened and a total of 136 works by 106 artists have now been chosen to be exhibited at the Kalmar Art Museum. The jury has consisted of the ceramicist Kakan Hermansson, the artist Jonas Liveröd and the art historian Maria Carlgren. Their comment about the jury work reads:
“During the selection process, Sydosten United’s brave and fun theme ‘Our National Museum’ formed a stretchable framework for us to keep in the back of our minds before the works we selected. The theme is reflected in the multitude of angles presented by the applications.
The applications have a breadth in both technology and expression that we wanted to take advantage of. We care about the craftsmanship and the imprint of the hand, the silent knowledge that passes down generations and is consolidated in the history of the area, the kingdom of glass and clay, in painting as well as in matches. We want to show what is created at home in the cottage as well as in the studio. Gloves and video art are equivalent. But we’re just as interested in the idiosyncratic creators, the ones whose work is unlike anyone else’s.
We are happy to see expression in the “between spaces” where the artist does not choose a side between art and craft, between new and older techniques. As in, for example, video animations where the analogue meets the digital, where the craftsmanship stands out and is the basis.”
The selected artists are:
SMÅLAND
Anders Allard, Jennie Margareta Andersson, Yvonne Aspernäs, Isolde Berg, Anna Berglund, Christine Bergkvist Björklund, Britt Bogårdh, Lotta Björn, Sarah Bouamrane, Tove Boysen, Josefin Bravo, Jan Albert Carlsson, Jonas Delefelt, Jenny Eneroth, Erica Engdahl, Lena Fries , Marita Fischman, Sara Fröjd, Anna-Linda Gabriel, Erika Givell, Birgitta Heiling, Connie Heitmann, Vera Hint Kindgren, IngaBritt Hjärtberg, Linn Häggbring, Emma Ivansson, Josef Valentin Jawed, Catharina Johansson Ek, Henrik Johansson, Niklas Johansson, Nelly Johansson , Björn Jäderås, Lena Kamras, Gunilla Karlsson, Marie Karlsson, Leif Kindgren, Klara Knutsson, Helle Kvamme, Miriam Kronstrand, Maria Larsson, Anna-Carin Leijon, Agneta B. Lind, Alve Lundin, Frida Lundén Mörck, Johanna Löfberg, Ann- Britt Malmsten, Toivor Mellström, Hoschang Moschiri, Henrik Palmberg, Lars Palm, Pia Palm, Kåre Persson, David Petersson, Magnus Petersson, Ann-Marie Rautenberg, Ann Rydh, Anette Rydqvist, Eva Skarbäck, Johanna Strand, Roger Svens son, Ermias Ekube Teweldemedhin, Mats Tusenfot, Lars Utterström, Sara Västerlund, Anna Wyn-Jones Frank, Lena Wängelin, Maria Yderland, Eivor Åberg, Ludvig Ödman.
BLEKINGE
Lene Andreasen, Sofia de la Fuente, Kristoffer Grip, Inge Hakansson, Michaela Ivarsdotter, Anette Jonsson, Margit Karlsson, Alexandra Melander, Iréne Viberg, Niclas Hallberg.
ÖLAND
Lars Apelmo, Elin Boberg, Maja Stina Breife, Per Brandstedt, Mats Brate, Matilda Carter, Olle Dahlkild, Elisabet Engqvist, Elisabet Hall, Ludvig Hyrefelt, Mi Höglund, Theo Janson, Kristina Jeppsson, Richard Krantz, Nike Lindholm, Marlene Lindmark, Elisabeth Lindstedt, Anna Lindvall, Stina Lord, Jonas Lundquist, Emmi Roosling, August Sörenson, Eva Thunberg, Martin Thunberg, Anna Wintzell, Edward Whittaker, Jeanette Wåhlstrand, Linda Zetterman.