Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde

Stockholm, Sweden

Swedish Museum of the Year 2017

 

A Visionary and Open Art Museum for the Future

 

 

For its strategic visionary work dedicated to opening up and further developing a rich and bold interdisciplinary museum activity based on the unique conditions of the site in a way that has given great impact and brand new groups of visitors, the art museum Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde was awarded the prestigious prize Swedish Museum of the Year for 2017. Behind the award were the National Association of Swedish Museums and Swedish ICOM:

"Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde is an excellent example of how museums can, through strategic vision, highlight unique conditions and further develop existing activities in an innovative and inspiring manner." (Mats Persson, Secretary General of the Association of Swedish Museums)

"This year's winner clearly shows that professionalisation of the museum business can be successfully combined with the role of an exploratory knowledge institution." (Swedish ICOM Chairman, Katherine Hauptman)

In its motivation, the jury specifically highlighted the coherent, inclusive and targeted development work carried out by Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde in recent years, work that has included all aspects of the museum: research-based exhibitions of historical and contemporary art, education, park and gardens, architecture, cultural heritage, museum shop and restaurant. It has not only resulted in a rich and bold interdisciplinary activity that has been widely appreciated, both among the visitors and media, it has also resulted in completely new target groups for the museum to work with. Today Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, originally the home of Prince Eugen (1865-1947), is among the most-visited art museums in Sweden with around 350,000 visits to the site each year and between 125,000 - 170,000 visits to the museum itself. 

Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, beautifully situated on Royal Djurgården in Stockholm, was originally created by Prince Eugen at the beginning of the 20th century as a total work of art, where architecture, art, park, gardens and nature form a whole. As soon as Prince Eugen had acquired Waldemarsudde in 1899, he began planning a future garden and park. Between 1903 and 1905 the Mansion was built by the renowned architect Ferdinand Boberg (1860-1946) together with Prince Eugen. Ferdinand Boberg, Prince Eugen and the museum director Alfred Lichtwark at Hamburger Kunsthalle worked together in the Gallery wing that was built in 1913. Prince Eugen was one of the most important Swedish landscape painters around 1900, a great art collector and an influential cultural personality in the Swedish art world for many years. Altogether, Waldemarsudde comprises an area of roughly 14 acres in the soft, pleasant woodland nature of Djurgården with its many deciduous trees and open meadows. 
The collections at Waldemarsudde, consisting of art and decorative art objects, are displayed regularly in various parts of the Museum. As an art collector, the Prince focused mainly on Swedish and other Nordic artists like Anders Zorn, Edvard Munch and Helene Schjerfeck, but there are also a number of significant acquisitions of French works by artists such as Auguste Rodin, Aristide Maillol, Robert Delaunay and Pablo Picasso. The Art Collection comprise works by Prince Eugen as well as by other artists and number some 7,000 objects. Several genres, such as painting, sculpture, drawings, prints and decorative art objects, are represented.  
In his will, Prince Eugen bequeathed the entire property to the Swedish state. The bequest included the park, gardens, buildings, furniture and fittings, the extensive collection of art as well as the Princeacute;s own paintings. Initially, the bequest was managed by the City of Stockholm. Since 1 July 2017, the Museum has functioned as a charitable foundation and receives some state funding every year.

In addition to the task of maintaining and preserving the site and its collections and presenting them accessibly and appealingly, the Museum runs an active exhibition program, arranging 6-7 exhibitions annually that reflect Prince Eugenacute;s artistic interests. The four main themes for these exhibitions consist of art from the end of the 19th and first half of the 20th century, contemporary art, decorative art objects and design. 
 

In recent years, Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde has organised several widely acknowledged exhibitions featuring exceptionally rich and expressive oeuvres, including Helene Schjerfbeck 2012, Emil Nolde 2015, Cecilia Edefalk 2016, Joan Miró 2017 and Sigrid Hjertén 2018. Waldemarsudde has also featured many forgotten oeuvres and styles in Swedish late 19th and early 20th century art, and has also spotlighted the influence of artist colonies and the acadeacute;mies libres, in research-based exhibitions such as Skagen 2013, Inspiration Matisse! 2014, Symbolism and Decadence 2015, Salon Painting?! 2016, Form and Colour. André Lhote and Swedish Cubism 2017 and Paula Modersohn-Becker and the Artistacute;s Colony at Worpswede in 2018. Waldemarsudde also has comprehensive educational activities for both adults and children, the latter including school visits, vacation programs, family Sundays and creative workshops. The "Music at Waldemarsudde" series offers tailor-made programs of music and readings that harmonise with the art displayed in the temporary exhibitions. Lectures, artistacute;s talks, art courses as well as workshops on cultivation enrich the museumacute;s offerings. The museum also administers a significant archive for researchers as well as undertaking its own research studies linked to the collections, temporary exhibitions and publications.

 "As the museum director at Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, I am very proud that our many years of visionary work have led up to the prestigious award Swedish Museum of the Year 2017. Our pursuit of innovation in research-based exhibition programmes and educational activities, and our ambition to open up all our activities for new and younger audiences have had a great impact on both the public and the press and media. Presentations of exciting contemporary art combined with innovative research-based exhibitions with historical art, have strengthened our position as an interesting art venue. Open garden days, meetings between art forms in the series "Music at Waldemarsudde", and running the property and restaurant on our own, have also been part of our visionary work, which together strengthens the image of the beautiful "total work of art" that is Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde. With the encouragement of the prize Swedish Museum of the Year 2017 and of the awards of Stockholmacute;s Favorite Museum 2016 and Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor in 2017 and 2018 we have continued to further develop and open up our operations according to our vision, for both loyal and new visitors of all ages."

Associate Professor Karin Sidén
Director General at Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde