Monday's Museum:Stockholm’s Fotografiska Museum Honors Tradition and Inspires Innovation in Photographic Exhibitions

When it comes to Fotografiska Muséet (Photographic Museum), respect for tradition and innovation begins at the door of the 26,910 square foot, 1906 Art Nouveau style industrial building in Sweden’s capital city. The building that houses the museum is, in itself, a national treasure; but more on that later.

Edwige. “Fotografiska museet om natten.” 2010-Sep-29. http://flic.kr/p/8G3z4w

Photographic Time Travel
Two years after opening in Stockholm, Fotografiska has become a top archivist and curator in the world of photography for the four major exhibits featured there each year. In addition to 15-20 smaller exhibitions, all aimed at celebrating renowned and respected photographic artists from the past and present.

The museum also offers courses and workshops in photography and digital imaging as part of its commitment to inspire up-and-coming photographers through dialogue on photography, individual exhibitions, seminars and coursework.  An ongoing commitment to acquiring contemporary photography for the museum’s permanent collection has been wildly successful, as anyone who has ever visited can tell you.

A visit through the Fotografiska Museum is as close as you can get to photographic time travel, as each exhibit takes visitors through the technical and artistic evolution of photography.

PG&CH. “Fotografiska - A museum for photography.”   2010-Nov-13. http://flic.kr/p/8YQC6D

Designed For Harmony
Fotografiska is among the world’s largest buildings to house photographic collections. The museum’s number one task (in their own words) is to find and produce the world’s most interesting photographic exhibitions, and in two short years it appears they are succeeding.

The Fotografiska was designed in 1906 by famous Swedish Architect Ferdinand Boberg, a colossal Art Nouveau style customs building named Stora Tullhuset, located on the docks of Stadsgården. A building of cultural interest, the original façade is intact, and interior renovations for the Fotografiska was designed to harmonize with exhibits of both black and white and color photographs. The museum’s flooring was developed with a specific vinyl Bolon texture. The flooring’s unique design produces subtle patterns that cannot be created using any other manufacturing method or material.

Photographic Legends
Fotografiska has hosted exhibitions of many famous and recognized artists, including Steve Schapiro, Robert Mapplethorpe, Anton Corbin, Annie Leibovitz and Helen Levitt.

The current Forografiska exhibitions include a comprehensive retrospective of Christer Strömholm’s work; more than 150 photographs, including his most recognized images as well as works that have never been exhibited before, plus archival materials, objects, films, and sound recordings.

Strömholm studied at the groundbreaking Fotoskolan School in 1962 with Tor Ivan Odulf. He coined the terms "existing light" and "personal responsibility”; his theories left a permanent impact on perspective and approach within Swedish photography.

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