Hemslöjden 100 years/Hemslöjden 100 år: The National Association of Swedish Handicraft Societies 100 years Part I

Hemslöjden 100 years: The National Association of Swedish Handicraft Societies 100 years

The power of folk art and crafts and handicrafts is immense also, or especially, in our time of digital and constant on-line life. The domain of crafts/handicrafts/folk art also is closely interweaved with fields like environment, sustainability and organic materials.
Also, (the from the outset punk and post-punk) DIY culture can be seen as a part of the movement of folk art and crafts.

This year the Swedish organization Svenska hemslöjdsföreningarnas riksförbund ("Swedish handicrafts organisation" or The National Association of Swedish Handicraft Societies) will celebrate 100 years. This will manifest itself as some very promising exhibitions!

One of the most exiting seems to be Väv ("Weave") at Nordiska museet (Djurgården, Stockholm). The museum was from the start created to hold many objects of folk dress as is reflected in the collections.

Photo: Mats Landin ©Nordiska museet.

Väv will feature old textiles from the collection and invited students from Konstfack, HV Skola (Handarbetets vänner) och Sätergläntan. There will also be looms for the public to use. Sounds very nice to me! Opening May 9th (closing September 30 th).

Logo for Power of  Fashion, Nordiska museet

Don´t forget the permanent exhibition Modemakt (Power of Fashion) which shows clothing and fashion from 1780s, 1860s and 1960s (different social groups, for example "folk clothing", very nicely put in a context of fashion). I highly recommend the very well-informed and well-written catalogue written by curator Berit Eldvik (beautiful photos by Mats Landin).
Last but not least, have a look at Nordiska museets Textilgalleri, on-line and IRL.

On June 6th (until September 2), the art hall Liljevalchs in Stockholm will show the jubilee exhibition Hemslöjden på Liljevalchs (Swedish Handicraft 100 Years). I remember the wonderful, joyful and colourful, exhibition Slöjden är här. Slöjden är härlig 1998 at Liljevalchs. I really look forward to this new big exhibition!

Anna-Karin Jobs Arnberg: embroidered mittens. Jubilee exhibition at Liljevalchs

On display will be for example the collective work, "Can you see the leaves on the trees", which will consist of 2000 leaves created by people around the country.

This is part I of my posts about Swedish handicrafts and the jubilee of Hemslöjden. I wish to conclude this post with this picture from Zickermans värld (from Lilli Zickerman, 1858-1949, one of the most important founders of the organized Swedish handicraft movement).

Check out the homepage of the jubilee year for more info about the handicraft movement´s first 100 years in Sweden (at the moment, it seems to be only in Swedish, unfortunately). And look out for my next post on the topic.