Lunchvisning fredagar kl. 12.30

Lunchtime Viewing of the Exhibition 'Borderlands' at Ystad Art Museum's 3rd Floor. The viewing is included in the entrance fee.

Skåne landscape painting from 1850–1950 meets contemporary works as the art museums in Malmö and Ystad open a joint exhibition.

The exhibition 'Borderlands' draws from Malmö Art Museum's and Ystad Art Museum's extensive collections of Skåne landscape paintings from the period 1850–1950. At both museums, older paintings are shown in dialogue with contemporary works. Thus, 'Borderlands' is an exhibition displayed in two locations.

Using landscape painting as a lens, the exhibition sheds light on our relationship with nature and ourselves through time. Today, issues of national identity and belonging in relation to art and culture have resurfaced in Swedish politics. 'Borderlands' explores 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 belonging.

At Ystad Art Museum, 'Borderlands' focuses on the first half of the 20th century and five landscape painters who are well represented in the collections. Here, their paintings are paired with contemporary works that explore questions of place and identity. This interaction reveals how cultural heritage influences our perception of the landscape and countryside today.

Images of the landscape are not only found in art but also in advertising and marketing. Stereotypical images of Skåne are used to attract both tourists and investors. Landscape images are also employed in political campaigns to convey hopes for a greener future or conservative notions of the past being better. Today, the view of nature is one of the strongest elements in Swedish national consciousness. Issues of national belonging in relation to art and culture are highly relevant, especially with the ongoing efforts to develop a Swedish cultural canon.

— "Our collections carry many stories that evolve over time and through the selection of artworks we make in both acquisitions and presentations. Each image carries much more than the subject 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 time we live in," says Ýrr Jónasdóttir, Director of Ystad Art Museum.

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

'Borderlands' will be exhibited at Malmö Art Museum and Ystad Art Museum from May 18 to November 3. The exhibition is part of Den platta jorden – a network for artistic exploration of Skåne.