Göteborg's Best Contemporary Art Galleries

Located in the centre of Göteborg, the Göteborgs Konsthall was originally built for the 1923 Göteborg Exhibition, a world fair marking the city’s 300th anniversary. It is right next to Göteborg’s Art Museum and is a great venue for exploring the international contemporary art scene. New York-based Chintra Ganesh and British artist Idris Khan, among others, have both had impressive exhibitions staged here. An important player in Göteborg’s cultural activities, the Konsthall has an ongoing partnership with the Valand Academy, the University of Göteborg’s art faculty, allowing students of fine art and photography to show their work here. It also participates in the GIBCA (Göteborg’s International Biennial for Contemporary Art).

Close to the Vasa Park in the centre of the city, Galleri Thomassen has been showing the cream of contemporary art from Sweden, Scandinavia and Berlin since its opening in 1990. Some of the gallery’s past shows include the works of Swedish artists Tommy Hilding, Roger Metto and Dan Perrin and sculptures by Claes Hake. The gallery also encourages aspiring young contemporary artists by providing a platform for exchange and a dedicated area for exhibitions called Lilla Galleriet (little gallery). The Thomassen gallery participates in local events such as Göteberg’s art weekend, during which it invites local artists to take part in a giant exhibition.

Under the Älvsborg bridge on the western banks of the river Göta sits an old boiler house bearing an impressive graffiti mural. This is Röda Sten, one of the largest contemporary art galleries on Sweden’s west coast and home to contemporary art in all its forms, ranging from installations to video art, from sculpture to photography. It was here that the first GIBCA took place in 2001 and the gallery continues to play a prominent role in the flagship event. The outside mural painted in 2004 is one of the gallery’s permanent exhibits and has recently undergone conservation work by Mikael Dimitri Lingren. Röda Sten is also known for encouraging young people to express themselves through creative projects such as the 2013 We exist therefore we are exhibition based on creating individual space and being visible in Göteborg.

Located in the Göteborg Museum of Art, the Hasselbad Centre is a natural stop off for all photography aficionados. Exhibits include works by winners of the annual Hasselbad Foundation’s award for established photographers. The scheme has been running since 1980 and was first awarded to Swedish-born Lennart Nilsson, known especially for his innovative medical photography. Subsequent award winners have included American photographer William Eggleston (1998) and British fine art photographer Paul Graham (2012). The foundation also organises an annual exhibition for young photographers under the name of New Nordic Photography, providing a platform for young photographers to showcase their work and enter the Young Photographer of the Year Award.