Gränstrakt / Boarderland

The exhibition Gränstrakt / Borderland takes its starting point from Malmö Konstmuseum and Ystad konstmuseums extensive collections of Scanian / Skånsk landscape paintings from the period 1850–1950. A large number of artistic works depicting the areas around Skåne are presented, in dialogue with contemporary pieces.
Through the lens of landscape painting, we catch a glimpse of our relationship to nature and to ourselves over time. Today, questions of national identity and belonging in relation to art and culture have once again come to the forefront of Swedish politics. The exhibition 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 Malmö Konstmuseum, the exhibition focuses on the years between 1850 and 1915, a period when urbanisation and industrialisation were accelerating in Sweden. The rural landscape—and its depictions—became a projection surface for the unchanging and secure in an uncertain time. Modernisation also led to the formation of a national consciousness. The people were to be united under a common idea of “Swedishness,” and artistic portrayals of Sweden’s landscapes were used as tools in this process. However, certain landscapes and motifs were not considered sufficiently “Swedish” to fit in—among them the Scanian plains.

At Ystad konstmuseum, Borderland focuses on the first half of the 20th century and five landscape painters who are well represented in the museum’s collections. Their works are shown alongside contemporary pieces that explore questions of place and identity. In this encounter, we become aware of how cultural heritage shapes our perception of the landscape and countryside today.

The exhibition is part of Den Platta Jorden/ The Flat Earth – a network for artistic exploration of Skåne.