Borås Art Museum: Where the city meets the arts

By Hanna Andersson

However, and whenever, you arrive in Borås, you will be greeted by art. When you are gliding into the city by train, you can enjoy Jaume Plensa’s House of Knowledge. If you arrive by car, you will most likely bump into Walking to Borås, a nine-metretall statue of Pinocchio by Jim Dine. And if you step off the bus at the travel centre, you will overlook Alice Aycock’s Devil Whirls. The source behind these fantastic views is Borås Art Museum, a well-established museum focusing on international artists, sculptures and contemporary art.

Borås is, because of all its public art constellations, known as the sculpture city. Around 100 sculptures are displayed within the city, introducing visitors and locals to culture on a daily basis, whether they think about it or not.

“Our city is filled with art that’s available to the public, so you will consume art without even knowing it,” says Eva Eriksdotter, head of the museum. “The pieces are sometimes thought-provoking and can kickstart conversations, and they’ve become part of the city’s identity; we are often called the art city. Additionally, seeing our public sculptures and constellations can inspire people to come and see what we have inside the museum, too.”

Borås Art Museum: Where the city meets the arts

House of Knowledge by Jaume Plensa. Photo: Maria Karlsson

The museum features both Swedish artists and international talents. For example, in 2021, it displayed Janet Echelman’s spectacular constellation 1.78 Borås, a 100-foot-long creation hovering over Borås main square. 2022, meanwhile, will see them open up for Nathalie Djurberg’s and Hans Berg’s latest artworks.

“What differentiates us from most museums is that we focus on the international scene and are lucky to have been given generous donations from our local business community. This has enabled us to invest in prominent art by some world-famous artists, which is truly special!” Eriksdotter enthuses. “We want to bring these fantastic pieces for everyone to enjoy.”

Escaping Memories by Saadia Hussain. Photo: Borås Konstmuseum

Up-and-coming exhibitions at Borås Art Museum include Vidunderligheter, a Finnish contemporary art exhibition featuring seven different artists who explore existential questions including how we see the world, social and societal structures, and environmental perspectives in a humorous, poetic, bizarre way. The exhibition will be available from 14 May until 11 September 2022.

In addition, the museum will this autumn once again unite the art within the museum with the outside world and is due to host an art exhibition about light – another chance to open up and combine art with everyday life.