Liljevalchs vårsalong 2024

Summary

It is one of those days when the sky gets a new shade of blue. Around the 9th of February it usually happens. Spring emerges out of the new blue and the exhibition Vårsalongen opens at Liljevalchs, a century long tradition that all artists living in Sweden can enter. This year, 2024, 163 artists have been accepted with a total of 298 artworks. But how did it happen? What is the planning procedure behind a “Vårsalong” like? And what was the original idea behind the exhibition? Vårsalongen started in 1921, modelling on the French “Salon des Refusés” from the 1870s. “Salon des Refusés” was a reaction against the conservative academic salons that had existed in Paris since the mid-1600s. In Sweden it was the spirited Prince Eugen that wanted to create an exhibition that would stand in opposition to the more academically inclined “Konstakademien”. Since Liljevalchs had opened in 1916 it became the perfect place for a fresher take on the salon. Today, Liljevalch’s production calendar for the yearly salon starts when spring is in full bloom. That is when the next year’s jury for Vårsalongen gets appointed. Since I became the new director for Liljevalchs in spring, selecting a jury became one of my first tasks. An exhibition programme is set many years in advance, but finding a jury, that one was on me. I have thought a lot about how to make art more accessible, and Vårsalongen is no exception. Even though anyone can apply as an artist not everyone does. And surely there is a potential for many more visitors to Vårsalongen and Liljevalchs? Well known names in art circles are seldom household names. I wanted to search outside of the art world to find my first jury member. I decided upon Peder Fredricson, an Olympic rider, and a dedicated artist with a passion for drawing. The two next jury members were found in curatorial circles. Curators are constantly in