Scan Magazine | Special Theme | An Autumn in Sweden
mission for adults accompanied by children,” the artistic director explains. Sustainability at heart Wanås is an accredited Long Run Destination and part of a global network of destinations working for long-term sustainability. “We work according to the guidelines and ‘4 C:s’ – conservation, culture, commerce and community,” says Givell, adding that visitors can enjoy arts in a setting that preserves, builds and challenges the future. The museum shop features a deli with local products such as homemade sausages, chocolates and organic apple juice. There is also an organic lunch café and the on-site farm is one of the largest organic milk producers in northern Europe. A chief executive duo Millqvist and Givell, a married couple and the duo in charge, both have prominent merits from the art world in New York and Stockholm. So what made them move to the countryside? “It is characteristic for Wanås that the artists come here to create something new. To me it was the way of working together, along with being in a place where contemporary art meets a wide audience,” says Millqvist.
Givell believes that creative thinking off the beaten track plays a vital part in shaping our world and future, something that he would like to proselytise and share with as many as possible. “I always worked with contemporary art in various ways and was familiar with Wanås. I was attracted by the ‘gem in the forest’ with its treasure 5 ways to explore Wanås We picked five works from the permanent collection and how to enjoy them.
1. Make a wish: Wish Trees for Wanås, 2011,
of an international contemporary art collection, and wanted to develop and make it more visible and available both locally and globally,” he says. Millqvist suggests that dual leadership is based on a modern way of thinking. “Together, you cover more competencies, but clarity and trust is important,” she says. “On the one hand, differing perspectives are complex, but on the other hand you get a synthesis of ideas that is bigger than what one could achieve alone.”
Yoko Ono. Add your own wish and hang it in the treetops.
2. Go underground: Svindel/Vertigo, 2002, Charlotte Gyllenhammar. Explore the underground room, where her studio is recreated – upside-down.
3. Walk away: Wanås Wall, 2002, Jenny Holzer. Stonewall featuring 260 engraved sentences – the longest piece of art, stretching nearly two kilometres.
4. Loose yourself in greenery: In and Out,
In brief Visitors per year: 60,000 Location: Östra Göinge, 1.5 hours north-east of Malmö, close to Kristianstad and Hässleholm. 2 hours from Copenhagen International Airport. Season: New exhibitions in May, until early November. Park open all year. Artists: More than 200 over the years.
2012, Srinivasa Prasad. The artist signed the
History: The exhibitions were initiated in
front lawn of Wanås Castle with willow and
1987 by Marika Wachtmeister.
clematis, and it doubles up as a 500-metre
Wanås Konst is run by The Wanås
labyrinth.
Foundation.
5. Mingle with cows: 11 Minute Line, 2004, Maya Lin. A winding grass bank on a meadow filled with cows. Clearly visible on Google maps too!
For more information, please visit: www.wanas.se
Jacob Dahlgren, Primary Structure, 2011. Photo: Wanås Konst.
The duo in charge: Mattias Givell and Elisabeth Millqvist. Photo: Wanås Konst.
Yoko Ono, Wish Trees for Wanås, 1996–2011. Photo: Wanås Konst
Charlotte Gyllenhammar, Svindel/Vertigo, 2002. Photo: Anders Norrsell
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