Lunch viewing on Fridays at 12:30

Tour on Friday at 12:30 of the exhibition "Gränstrakt" at Ystad Art Museum. The tour is included in the entrance fee and lasts approximately 30 minutes.

Scania landscape painting from 1850–1950 meets contemporary works as Malmö Art Museum and Ystad Art Museum open a joint exhibition.

The exhibition "Gränstrakt" is based on the extensive collections of Scania landscape paintings from the period 1850–1950 held by Malmö Art Museum and Ystad Art Museum. Older paintings are displayed in dialogue with contemporary works at both museums. "Gränstrakt" is therefore an exhibition shown in two locations.

Through the lens of landscape painting, we gain insight into our relationship with nature and ourselves throughout history. Today, questions about national identity and cultural unity in relation to art and culture have been reactivated in Swedish politics. The exhibition "Gränstrakt" examines the role of landscape painting in relation to ideas of a culturally homogeneous and original place in the past, and how artistic representations have been used to create feelings of unity.

At Ystad Art Museum, "Gränstrakt" focuses on the first half of the 20th century and features five landscape painters well-represented in the collections. Their paintings are juxtaposed with contemporary works exploring questions of place and identity. This encounter highlights how cultural heritage influences our perception of the landscape and rural areas today.

Images of the landscape appear not only in art but also in contexts such as advertising and marketing. Stereotypical images of Scania are used to attract tourists and investors alike. Landscape images are also used in political campaigns, both to convey hope for a greener future and conservative notions that the past was better.

Today, views on nature are one of the strongest elements in Swedish national consciousness. Questions about national unity in relation to art and culture are highly relevant, especially in light of ongoing efforts to develop a Swedish cultural canon.

"Our collections hold many stories that evolve over time and through the selection of artworks we make in both acquisition and presentation. Each image carries much more than the motif it depicts. By showcasing a selection of our historical landscape paintings, placing them in a contemporary context, and initiating new encounters across time and space, we raise new questions and perspectives that enrich our understanding of our history and how it has shaped the era we live in," says Ýrr Jónasdóttir, director of Ystad Art Museum.

Curators: Julia Björnberg, Anna Johansson, and Ellen Klintenberg.

"Gränstrakt" is shown at Malmö Art Museum and Ystad Art Museum from May 18th to November 3rd. The exhibition is part of "Den platta jorden" – a network for artistic exploration of Scania.