Swedish Grace had been a brief yet substantial moment that emerged in the 1920’s and came to represent a brilliant mix of classicism and architectural details. Architecture, art, interior design, and crafts were defined by simplified shapes and purity of composition -- a huge step away from nationalism and Jugendstil. A young and talented generation of architects and designers looked
back to classicism and their own Nordic traditions, and created an incredibly modern vernacular style characterized by timeless proportions, luxuriously superb handcraft, and playful details. The exhibition also includes Finnish artist Ola Kolehmainen’s septych “Gyllene Salen” (1999), a series of large-scale photographs of the Golden Hall. Berlin-based artist Kolehmainen uses architecture as the starting point in his work, in which he approaches architecture with historical narratives to examine space, color, light, and volume. Also featured in the exhibition is a rare hand-carved lion and engraved copper top table by artist Anna Petrus, which was originally exhibited at the Paris World Exhibition in 1925.
