Lunagallerian, where Södertälje konsthall has had premises since 1978, is to be completely renovated. Prior to this renovation, we move to temporary locations at Torekällberget’s open-air museum. Here we will show exhibitions, create rooms for Galaxen, (our creative workshop for children and young people), as well as programs and art activities for all ages. We open on May 10 with an exhibition that focuses on the site, the open-air museum with its collections and archives, as well as work with focus on sustainability and bringing history to life. To begin this journey, we have invited artists: aghili/karlsson (Nasim Aghili and Björn Karlsson), Julia Adzuki and Patrick Dallard, Apparatus 22 (Erika Olea, Maria Farcas, Dragos Olea) and Caretto/Spagna (Andrea Caretto and Raffaela Spagna)

Together we create a new place, temporary, for art in Södertälje-on site Torekällberget open-air museum! Welcome!

About our new location:
Step back in time and engage yourself in Sweden’s 19th century heritage. Wander through streets lined with houses and buildings of vast cultural and historical significance. Have a look inside the humble worker’s residence, where families once shared a single room and kitchen, offering a glimpse into daily life of the era. Each location offers a unique window into Sweden’s rich past, providing visitors with a truly unforgettable journey through time. Torekällberget has no admission fee’s, except for special events and guided tours for groups.

Photo: Apparatus 22

Craftsmanship and the handmade can also be seen as a counter-reaction to the hectic information society and a disgust towards the flattening global market. In Julia Adzuki and Patrick Dallard’s work we return to water, via the Södertäljelegend of Vatt-Anna. Water is a finite resource that we all need to conserve – part of a future more responsible lifestyle. With care for our loved ones, Apparatus 22 (Erika Olea, Maria Farcas, Dragos Olea) wants to give us collective hope in a troubled time – with handmade postcards in delicate materials. A poetic gesture that can symbolize the fear of AI development in the virtual society that many of us feel. The handmade testifies to the personal, to collaboration, to sharing of ideas and to returning to local production and small-scaleness, as well as the preservation of important craft skills that have been passed down from generation to generation. aghili/karlsson (Nasim Aghili and Björn Karlsson), has created a place for meditation and rest – a unique piece of furniture where you as a visitor can take part in its solid craftsmanship but also contemplate the historical environment through a queer orientation. The craft can be seen as a process that keeps our common but diverse past alive, something that in itself creates a sense of belonging and continuity. Caretto/Spagna (Andrea Caretto and Raffaela Spagna) turns their gaze towards Torekällberget museum collections, where time plays a central role. Is it possible to read objects in our time where we have distanced ourselves from the material? Can we, with the innovative power of art, find solutions to our society’s overconsumption of our common resources through knowledge from the past?

Welcome to Geographical transmittals – Södertälje konsthall’s first exhibition in our new venue at Torekällberget museum. During the winter of 2024-2025, the artists have visited museum storages at Torekällberget and places around Södertälje to find inspiration for the artworks that have been produced exclusively for this exhibition.

Maja-Lena Molin, Artistic Director Södertälje konsthall