Gullringsbo Konstsamling is delighted to announce the permanent public exhibition of works from its collection, organised by Erika Hellman and Carl Kostyál, to be displayed in the newly restored upper and side galleries of Hospitalet, the 18th century former sanitorium on Nacka island, Stockholm that was acquired by AB Gullringsbo Egendomar in 2021.
Gullringsbo Konstsamling’s mission is to provide Sweden with an art centre of international ambition. Spanning over three generations of artists from both pre and post the digital revolution and constantly evolving, the collection ranges from the very first artists who began to explore and push the boundaries of what it means to live in the emerging digital universe, such as Alex Da Corte, Petra Cortright, Alex Israel, Austin Lee, Jon Rafman and Amalia Ulman, to artists for whom the digital is the only reality they have known, such as Mia Faithfull and Emma Stern. The collection features some of the best international Swedish talent from the last three decades, from Klara Lidén, Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg to Camilla Engström.
To coincide with the grand opening, Gullringsbo will also unveil the Hospitalet sculpture park in the environs of the building, featuring newly commissioned works by Las Vegas-born, New York-based Austin Lee and Swiss-born, New York-based Yves Scherer.
Hospitalet, once a mental asylum known as Danviken Hospital, was founded in 1558 when King Gustav Vasa built a hospital on the former Greyfriars monastery in Nacka. After its closure as a hospital in the 19th century, the building underwent numerous transformations from a wartime storage facility for Stockholm’s museums to illegal rave venue in the 1990s. Following its acquisition in 2021 by AB Gullringsbo Egendomar, the building underwent an extensive restoration, but leaving traces of all its previous incarnations. In 2021 Carl Kostyál began to exhibit in the central space of Hospitalet, introducing the most exciting international artistic talent to Stockholm. Following two exhibitions of the Gullringsbo Collection at Hospitalet curated by Carl Kostyál, the latter of which attracted over three thousand visitors, including H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria and H.R.H. Prince Daniel of Sweden, this opening marks the full relaunch of the space as a public site for members of the public to engage with the collection.
Gullringsbo Konstsamling has close ties with Moderna Museet, having donated a number of works by artists, including Alex Da Corte, Alex Israel and Austin Lee. In 2019, Gullringsbo Konstsamling published a catalogue on its collection followed by a second volume in 2024. Beyond acquisitions, Gullringsbo Konstsamling has played an active role in Carl Kostyál’s programme, such as in 2019 when they co-organised with Carl Kostyál the group exhibition ‘Malmö Sessions’ in Malmö Ystadvägen, featuring the work of Buck Ellison, Jordan Kasey, Hilma af Klint, Basil Kincaid, Austyn Weiner and Chloe Wise, among others.
The central space at Hospitalet continues to be home to Carl Kostyál, staging exhibitions of the latest emerging talent in contemporary art from around the world.
The exhibition texts for each room of the exhibition: