…from Sweden! I received a nice package this weekend, and of all the things that might have been inside it, I found this: a sponge emblazoned with the face of the Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden. I’m not sure about the man (not being on my Swedish gossip) but he certainly looks a lot like her fiance, the fitness trainer Daniel Westling.
Nice mail to get, and so helpfully labeled as kitsch. Otherwise, I might fear it was sincerely meant.
Sure, the low, long building with its whimsical outdoor structures perhaps looks a bit dated and much like any other museum. But the Moderna Museet has been known for legendary shows (solo exhibitions of Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol and Edward Kienholz in the 1960s; “5 New York Evenings” in 1964 with Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, David Tudor, Yvonne Rainer, Öyvind Fahlström, Merce Cunningham) under Director Pontus Hulten. It’s currently putting up what looks to be another great show, and one I’d love to see: a Clay Ketter retrospective. Clay Ketter Retrospective, 30 May – 16 August 2009
“Clay Ketter was first acknowledged for his Wall Paintings (1992-99), plasterboards with spackle over screws and joints. They were both strikingly beautiful abstract paintings and a sort of fabricated ready-mades, less finished than the wall they were hung on. Trace Paintings (1995-) is another series of paintings that resemble wall surfaces being redecorated. Traces of wallpaper, shelves and electric wiring evoke a sense of uncertainty in the onlooker as to whether this is a real wall or a painting of a wall.”
Not to mention, if you do happen to be in the area, it makes for a lovely afternoon to stroll past the National Gallery and bridge over to Skeppsholmen where the Moderna Museet is, surronded by museums and park space. Swedish summer days are cool, especially beneath the trees, and just on the other side of the bridge is a coffee stand with strong black coffee, cinnamon buns, and, of course, ice cream.