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Art city Halmstad

Halmstad has a rich art heritage. Over the years, the coastal setting and special Halland light has inspired and attracted a great many artists to the city.

This is where the Halmstad Group blossomed in the early part of the 20th century and went on to conquer the art world, nationally and internationally. Halmstad was also a meeting place for a variety of artists and artist groups. In the middle of the 20th century, Sven X:Et Erixson, Vilhelm Bjerke-Petersen, Elsa Thoresen and Olle Baertling were amongst those to work here. Many artists still live and work in Halmstad today.

Public art in the city

Halmstad also has a long tradition of public art. Carl Milles’ famous Europa and the Bull sculpture group came to Stora torg as early as 1926. Barely half a decade later, Halmstad could boast a monumental sculpture by Picasso, Head of a Woman. Today, there are some hundred public works of art. Many of these are in the centre. Special “art maps” have been produced to aid appreciation. Guided art walks on various themes are also held regularly.

Halmstad Arena is another public art venue. It offers everything from giant murals and mosaics to smaller scale sculptures and paintings. Outside the arena, there is the “Halmstad wall”, a space where all are welcome to be creative and express themselves.

Art museums and galleries

Art city Halmstad has Sweden’s only museum focused on surrealism – Mjellby Art Museum. This is also the Halmstad Group’s museum. Additionally, the museum often spotlights genres that have been forgotten. These exhibitions attract a good deal of coverage both inside and outside Sweden. Halmstad is also home to the Halland Art Museum. Besides its rich collections of local works, it further offers exhibitions of a regional, national and international character. Presently closed for rebuilding, the museum opens again in autumn 2019. Halmstad’s city library features the Halmstad Art Gallery, a small arena showing the latest in contemporary art from Halmstad and the rest of Sweden.

More art venues

In Halmstad, there are several artist-run art venues. One of these is Harp Art Lab, a sound art laboratory in an old windmill. Another is Galleri 70, a meeting place for many of the city’s artists. At Slottsmöllan, The PhotoGallery shows national and international photo art. Tres Hombres Art has an entire hotel in Tylösand as its gallery.

We warmly welcome you to discover Halmstad’s artistic side!

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Gems!

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