Seguendo la linea critica tracciata dal movimento Swedish Grace, Markus Emilsson, artista e curatore dell’evento, ha invitato ha esporre dal 3 al 21 settembre presso l’Institut Suédois cinque valenti artisti svedesi del vetro. Essi parteciperanno a una mostra libera, grezza e ricca di colore, si tratta di Maria Bang Espersen, Peter Hermansson, Hanna Hansdotter, Kirsten Vikingstad Hermansson e Fredrik Nielsen, tutti intenti allo sviluppo, ovviamente ciascuno a proprio modo, di nuovi linguaggi estetici, codici che si stanno diffondendo in tutto il mondo. Si tratta di artisti ricercatori che condividono la passione per l’artigianato, oltre a un profondo desiderio di contribuire alla rinascita dell’arte del vetro.
BLAZING GRACE
In a critical lineage of the Swedish Grace movement, artist and exhibition curator Markus Emilsson has invited, from September 3 to 21 at the Institut Suédois, five leading Swedish glass artists to participate in an exhibition that is unconstrained, raw and bursting with colour. Maria Bang Espersen, Peter Hermansson, Hanna Hansdotter, Kirsten Vikingstad Hermansson and Fredrik Nielsen are developing, each in their own way, new aesthetic languages that they are spreading around the world. They share a common passion for craftsmanship and a deep desire to contribute to the revival of glass art.
Fredrik Nielsen. Photo Mikael Niemi / Fredrik Nielsen. Photo Eric Moretti
The long and rich history of Swedish glass art has encompassed both innovation and tradition, prestige and simplicity, prosperity and decline. Today, 100 years after the heyday of the Swedish Grace movement, it is entering a new era. A generation of bold artists are questioning established traditions and conventional approaches and celebrating shapes, colours and desire.
SWEDISH GRACE AND SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN
The 20th century was a golden age for Swedish style and design. One of the main factors contributing to this success was the work of the Swedish Crafts Association (Svensk Slöjdförening), which, during the 1910s, launched the concept of ‘beautiful everyday items’ (vackrare vardagsvara) that has remained the hallmark of Swedish design. This vision of ‘beauty for all’ and ‘everyday beauty’ helped shape not only the way that Swedish people see themselves but also international perception of Swedish taste and identity. The idea was to enhance the home with functional and simple design at an affordable price.
Kirsten Vikingstad Hermansson. Wheel of Fortune. Photo Maddoc Photography / Kirsten Vikingstad Hermansson. Colombo. Photo Maddoc Photography
This everyday aesthetic was intended to educate people in artistic values and promote intellectual elevation through the senses. Through a series of national and international exhibitions, the concept of beautiful everyday items developed, leading to an international breakthrough for Swedish handmade and mass-produced art at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925, where the Swedish porcelain of Rörstrand and Gustavsberg, textiles by Märta Måås-Fjetterström, pewterware by Estrid Ericson and, above all, Swedish glass by Orrefors were hailed. This success resulted in a rise in exports and international recognition of the good taste, elegance and high quality of Swedish glassware. The style became known as Swedish Grace. The 1939 New York World’s Fair saw the emergence of the concept of Swedish Modern. Thanks to a close collaboration between artists and manufacturers, high-quality everyday items became affordable for everyone. The Swedish aesthetic was sold and exported as simple, light, bright, welcoming and wholesome – a reputation it retains to this day. In the 1950s, Scandinavian Design was an extension of this movement.
Maria Bang Espersen. Photo MBE / Maria Bang Espersen. Photo MBE
TOWARD A NEW ECOSYSTEM
Sweden has a long and proud glassmaking tradition. The first glassworks were founded in the mid-17th century and the Kosta glass factory, still in operation, was established in 1742. The glass industry was focussed mainly on the southeastern region of Småland, due to its abundant forests, which fuelled the furnaces long before the arrival of gas and electricity. Over the centuries, Småland, which became known as the ‘Kingdom of Crystal’ (Glasriket), has seen the appearance and disappearance of numerous glassworks, but the last fifteen years have been marked by major disruptions. The glass industry has significantly diminished as production has been delocalised to countries with lower salaries. Many of the most famous glassworks have closed, including both Åfors and Orrefors in 2013.
Hanna Hansdotter. Photo Quee Of Kindom Of Crystal / Peter Hermansson. Photo Maddoc Photography AB
In the wake of this wavering industry, however, a new ecosystem has emerged. Small, independent, well-equipped glass workshops have opened, adapted to artistic production as well as small design series. Artists can rent a studio to produce their own works, and qualified personnel are on hand to assist them. This process of democratisation and increased accessibility has fundamentally transformed the Swedish glass sector. Breaking free from industrial expectations of productivity has generated a wealth of new artistic expressions. In industry, glass is seen as a profitable production material and is processed in large volumes. In the art world, glass is a means of exploring, discussing and describing the world. Alternative expressions and narratives are emerging thanks to a network of a curious, passionate and tenacious individuals who are inventing new craft techniques. Sometimes, the result is seen in art installations or unique objects; at other times, it takes the form of small – scale productions of utilitarian objects. This is an ecosystem where the raw, the beautiful, the unadorned, the playful, the simple and the complex coexist. The artists featured in this exhibition embody and highlight this paradigm shift.
The artists: Maria Bang Espersen, Hanna Hansdotter, Peter Hermansson, Fredrik Nielsen et Kirsten Vikingstad Hermansson
INFO
«Blazing Grace»
3 – 21 September 2025
Institut suédois
11 rue Payenne, 75003 Paris
Entrance at 11 rue Payenne
Exhibitions open Tuesday to Sunday, 12pm to 7pm.
Late opening on Thursday until 9pm.
