About
The first edition of the Småland Triennial was held between May 27 and October 1, 2023, as a unique collaboration between art institutions, art actors, and smaller associations. With an ear to the ground and eyes directed towards a complex present of growing disparities, declining trust in democracy, climate alerts, and global states of war, the Småland Triennial aims to be a driving force for encounters between people through art and culture.
The Småland Triennial and Konstfrämjandet Småland have emerged through deepened collaboration and initiatives from the art institutions Vandalorum, Smålands Konstarkiv, Kalmar Art Museum, Virserum Art Hall, Växjö Art Hall, Österängens Art Hall, and The Glass Factory, as well as in cooperation with Linnaeus University. The goal of the triennial is to make visible, support, and build long-term relationships and collaborations between established cultural institutions, artist-driven activities, and associations in Småland. The triennial aims to counteract the emerging “white spots” on the map where the public is not reached by art or culture through closer collaborations.
The Småland Triennial wants to be a driving force to improve the cultural infrastructure in the vast Småland in the long term. In 2023, the triennial's common theme was Små Land – a concept historically used to describe Småland's diverse landscape. The name Småland refers to a time when several “small lands” were merged into a common geographical area. Today, tree plantations as an industry and ancient forests as bearers of mystique coexist with storage facilities and locally grown microbreweries. Red cottages, coastal towns, inland communities, meadows, and lakes are part of the vast landscape. The new Småland is a place where the urban buzz and the silence of emptiness collide both powerfully and silently.
Små Land served as a thematic starting point that acted as a catalyst for exploring the geography of the landscape and its challenges today and in the future. It was interpreted freely by the various actors, and the sum of the whole only became clear once the first edition of the triennial was completed. Based on the theme, exhibitions, workshops, and projects were arranged at around twenty locations throughout Småland. Through an exploratory approach, spanning educational initiatives and artistic projects, artists and the public interacted with global and local questions surrounding designed living environments, nature, climate, and biodiversity, and how this relates to Småland's conditions.
The triennial is carried out with support from the Swedish Arts Council, Region Jönköping County, Region Kalmar County, and Region Kronoberg.
Click here to view the exhibitions and projects of 2023
Click here to view the program for 2023
To see what is happening during the development years 2024-25, please follow the Småland Triennial on INSTAGRAM, read news and on Konstfrämjandet Småland's website