Malmö Konstmuseum@Malmö Konsthall

Malmö Konstmuseum@Malmö Konsthall is a unique encounter and reflects the multifaceted existence we live in—a world in constant change, facing increasing global social and environmental transformations. The past decades have been marked by a profound evolution, with shifts in the balance of power in world politics and an explosive growth in communication technologies.

Malmö Konstmuseum & Schyls donation

Over these decades, Malmö Konstmuseum has developed its collection, focusing primarily on Nordic contemporary art. The exhibition offers an opportunity to experience parts of this collection in dialogue with works from the Schyl Collection. Both collections reflect the most important international movements and trends in contemporary art and the periods in which they were created.

Three overarching themes

The exhibition, featuring works from the 1960s to the present, revolves around three overarching themes: “A World in Change,” “Rituals of Everyday Life,” and “Language and Communication.” As the art collections were being built, the map of Europe was being redrawn. The Berlin Wall fell, and people were forced to reassess official histories and confront a changing world. The political tensions during and after the division between East and West were reflected by many artists. A world in change leads to everyday life in flux. Several works address the rituals of daily life—those that people grow into, inherit, and sometimes resist. New rituals emerge as the world and human living conditions evolve. Our ways of processing information are also constantly changing. The exhibition presents several works by artists who have explored the significance of language and our diverse modes of communication.

Vote for works in the exhibition!

The M-Hall is a special part of the exhibition. Here, visitors can influence what is displayed. There are over 500 works from the collections to choose from, ranging from the 1910s to the present. The exhibition in the M Hall is developed gradually. In the C Hall, video works from the art museum’s collection are shown.

Malmö Konstmuseum has one of Sweden’s most extensive collections, primarily of Nordic art, but also including international art, applied arts, and industrial art objects from the 16th century to the present. The collection, comprising approximately 40,000 works, has been built through generous donations and acquisitions. The museum actively collects Nordic contemporary art and lends a significant number of works each year to exhibitions at museums and art halls both in Sweden and abroad. Malmö Konstmuseum is operated by the City of Malmö with support from Region Skåne.

Inspired by Malmö Art Konsthall’s international exhibition activities, Karin and Jules Schyl donated a small collection of international “classics” in 1983, along with funds for the acquisition of “new, preferably avant-garde art from various directions.” The Schyl Collection reflects the most important movements and trends in contemporary art, particularly from the past decades. The collection has grown rapidly and today contains over one hundred works, with many internationally renowned artists represented. Works from the collection are frequently lent to museums around the world.