Autumn Exhibitions 2023 at Handarbetets Vänner

Handarbetets Vänner, has a unique history that goes back 150 years. This is celebrated with an anniversary year that includes new exhibitions and lots of other fun!

Here at Royal Djurgården you will find Handarbetets Vänner (HV). The association was founded in 1874 and has since been synonymous with sustainable and high-quality Swedish textiles.

Today, there are several examples of how there is a strong identity at Handarbetets Vänner that is linked to quality and sustainability. Not least because HV is often hired for textile art with high quality requirements by government authorities. Since 1920, they have also held teaching and training through HV school. Handarbetets Vänners school offers full-time training and a wide range of short courses in textile craft.

During the autumn and winter, several wonderful exhibitions will be shown on a conveyor belt. A visit to Handarbetets Vänner Gallery is free of charge, so come by and explore the world of textiles and its talented creators. Below is the list of upcoming exhibitions:

Varje Maska en bokstav – Ann Bonander Looft September 7 – October 14

Ann Bonander Looft’s knitted garments and objects that range between craft, fashion and art and have been seen in both films and on stage. Ann Bonander Looft has worked as a costume designer and scenographer for over 30 years, mainly at Dramaten Stadsteaternhere in Stockholm. For fifteen years, Bonander Looft also has its own studio for its unique knitting. Her knitted works have been exhibited at Sven-Harry’s Art Museum in Stockholm and Blå Hallen in Höganäs, among others. The exhibition Each Maska en letter is a continuation of the exhibition “Stickerskan” which Galleri Glas showed during the spring and summer of 2023 and which is now coming to Handarbetets Vänner Gallery.

(Only in Swedish) Learn more about the exhibition here.

Länk-Link-Linkki II October 26 – November 18

The artist organizations Artists O and Fiber Art Sweden have organized and curated the joint traveling exhibition LÄNK – LINK – LINKKI. A total of 19 artists from Finland and Sweden participate in the exhibition. The members of both organizations work in the fields of art, craft and design – they all have a strong connection to materials, something that is defined in the works both concretely and in a conceptual approach.

Fiber Art Sweden continuously seeks out new places and contexts to take up new positions – both in the form of curated exhibitions and conversation series and workshops. LÄNK – LINK – LINKKI has been shown at Hanaholmen’s gallery in autumn 2021 and is now coming to Djurgården.

(Only in Swedish) Learn more about the exhibition here.

Ta plats – Kvinnorum November 23 – January 13

Two image weavers have portraits, community involvement and monumental image weaves as a common denominator. The textile artists Berit Sahlström and Astrid Bäckström are two textile artists who throughout history have taken a variety of positions in relation to the works they produced. For the exhibition, the artists have worked with new interpretations of historical works and drew attention to power structures with a certain playfulness. In several of the works, they link to artists and writers via portraits and in this way want to contribute to the discussion about the importance of textile art in the artistic scene today. The exhibition will be framed with performances, poetry and music as well as a workshop. More information on content and dates for this will follow.

(Only in Swedish) Learn more about the exhibition here.