The Reception of the Halmstad Group in the 1930s
In: A Cultural History of the Avant-Garde in the Nordic Countries 1925-1950Search for other papers by Helen Fuchs in
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Abstract
In Sweden the introduction of surrealism is associated with the art of the Halmstad group during the 1930s. In the process of constructing the story of the Halmstad group, a cosmopolitan context has often been emphasised. This association was made frequently as early as the 1930s. However, it was considered problematic by the artists themselves, since they had to face disadvantageous comparisons with preconceived notions about surrealism. The aim of this essay is to examine the Swedish reception of the Halmstad group during the 1930s in order to understand how, and in relation to what, it was perceived as surrealist. The main focus will be on the group’s Stockholm Exhibition in 1932, with the introduction of surrealism, the 1937 Nordic Surrealism exhibition in Lund and the Halmstad group ten-year anniversary exhibition held in Stockholm in 1939.