The 100-Year-Old

“It was private interest that first founded Malmö Museum” , so begins a text about the Friends of Malmö Konstmuseum, an association established on April 1, 1925, in the city council chamber of Malmö. This year, the association celebrates its 100th anniversary, an occasion now marked by a centennial exhibition.

At the time, Malmö Konstmuseum was a part of Malmö Museum, which had been founded in 1841. Today, the art museum holds one of Sweden’s largest collections of art, crafts, and design. The vital role played by private individuals in the museum’s history and the development of its collection cannot be overstated. Over the years, members of the association have supported the institution through membership fees and special fundraising efforts, contributions that have enabled key acquisitions. It has not only been wealthy patrons who have donated works of art, but a broad and collective effort that has made it possible for Malmö Konstmuseum to steward one of Sweden’s most significant art collections.

To celebrate the centenary, the museum is presenting a special selection of around 60 artworks, many of which have not been exhibited in decades. This represents only a small portion of the 530 works listed in the association’s donation records. In addition, around thirty more works, both fine art and craft, are on view in the museum’s permanent exhibition The Collection.

“The goal of the current museum association has been to revive that sense of individual interest and personal connection to the museum.” These words, written during the association’s first year, reflect the spirit that has guided its work for an entire century, a collective commitment through which many have contributed to the museum and its future.

With works by, among others:

Michael Ancher, Eva Anttila, Albert Edelfelt, Sven Erixson, Marcel Gromaire, Oluf Høst, Christian Krohg, Axel Revold, Hugo Simberg, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Edward Weie.