SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

Sweden

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia opens new exhibition at Solliden Palace

Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI Gustaf

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden inaugurated a glass exhibition at Solliden Palace on Tuesday. The royal couple were joined by the artist Bertil Vallien at the inauguration of the new summer exhibition at Solliden located just outside Stockholm. This year’s exhibition at Solliden Palace consists of glass art by the Swedish artist Bertil Vallien. Solliden has a long tradition of exhibiting art during the summer season from various Swedish artists. The castle is frequently visited and the annual art exhibitions have proven to be very popular. Until October 3, visitors have the opportunity to visit the exhibition.

This year’s exhibition is the first to be arranged outdoors and shown in the garden’s English park. In the exhibition, which Bertil Vallien named “Gatekeeper“, he presents the results of a long-term artistic experiment with glass. For more than 60 years, Vallien has worked with glass together with the artist Kosta Boda. He has won numerous awards and is represented in the world’s museums.

During the opening of the exhibition, the artist gave a speech to the King and Queen where he said: “The roof is a blue sky. The floor is green grass. Walls are the colours of the season. Large sculptures with the limitations of glass. Iron is a supplement. They compete, support, connect and form a context. A showy home is the centre. Surrounded by tall figures carrying glazed memories. Guardian. Fortune tellers on high chairs. The influence of light gives the magic in the glass: reflects, envelops, seduces. Traces of something that was there – was caught! Or just disappeared? Glass eats light!”

This is not the only exhibition that will be at Solliden’s Castle this summer. In the Royal Pavilion an exhibition about Solliden’s history and development is set up. The exhibition is called “Royal Summers” and is a unique photo exhibition about King Carl XVI Gustaf’s life at Solliden`s Castle.

About author

Senior Europe Correspondent Oskar Aanmoen has a master in military and political history of the Nordic countries. He has written six books on historical subjects and more than 1.500 articles for Royal Central. He has also interview both Serbian and Norwegian royals. Aanmoen is based in Oslo, Norway.