Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise

Art from the Collection of Marika & CG Wachtmeister

Exhibition at Vandalorum Museum of Art and Design
12/4–12/10 2025

Welcome to the press preview on Friday, April 11, at 11:00 AM in the presence of Marika and CG Wachtmeister, as well as museum director Elna Svenle. RSVP to johanna.hansson@vandalorum.se.

This summer, Vandalorum presents a new exhibition featuring works from the international art collection that Marika and CG Wachtmeister have built over half a century. The exhibition highlights the couple’s longstanding relationship with the art world in the United States, showcasing works by around 40 influential artists who have been active through the various challenging and increasingly alarming periods that have shaped the country, from the 1970s to the present day.

Many of the artists in the exhibition have made an impact far beyond the art world, often incorporating political undercurrents into their work. Among them is Andres Serrano, whose striking photographs have repeatedly confronted some of the most painful chapters in U.S. history related to religion and racism. We also encounter Jenny Holzer (whose work lends the exhibition its title) who, for decades, has used language to shed light on issues that those in power seek to silence. The exhibition includes works addressing human vulnerability by Louise Bourgeois, slavery by Kara Walker, and female exposure by Nan Goldin. What unites many of the artists in the exhibition is the directness of their approach—whether in subject matter, imagery, or materiality.

The exhibition includes works by, among others, Marina Abramović, Janine Antoni, Louise Bourgeois, Nan Goldin, Ann Hamilton, Jenny Holzer, Emily Jacir, Zoran Naskovski, Karyn Olivier, Yoko Ono, Roxy Paine, Dread Scott, Andres Serrano, Kara Walker, and Robert Wilson, among others. It also features works by several Swedish artists who have been active in the United States, such as Maria Friberg, Axel (Annica) Karlsson Rixon, Monika Larsen Dennis, Ann-Sofi Sidén, and Anne Thulin.

Marika and CG Wachtmeister first traveled to New York together in 1974. Since then, the city and its artists have remained their greatest source of inspiration. Over the same period, American society has undergone many transformative events, which are reflected in the art. Yet, it seems almost inconceivable that we now find ourselves in a situation where the very preservation of democracy is at risk, with unpredictable consequences for the rest of the world.

Marika Wachtmeister founded the international exhibition program at Wanås in northeastern Skåne, Sweden in 1987, where many of the artists in the collection have participated. Today, Wanås Konst is an internationally renowned sculpture park featuring over 80 permanent works set within a magnificent beech forest and historic buildings.

To accompany the exhibition, Vandalorum is publishing a catalog featuring a newly written text by award-winning journalist and author Martin Gelin. Gelin has served as a U.S. correspondent for the newspaper Dagens Nyheter for many years and has written books such as The White Storm: How Racism Poisoned American Democracy (2025) and Tomorrow I Am Far From Here: A Farewell Letter to the U.S. (2024).

The exhibition is produced by Vandalorum and designed by TAF Studio. Previous exhibitions featuring works from Marika and CG Wachtmeister’s collection have been presented at Kristianstad Konsthall (2022) and Liljevalchs Konsthall (2024).

With thanks to: Tore G Wärenstam Foundation, Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, Swedish Arts Council, Region Jönköping County, Värnamo Municipality

Photos:
Dread Scott, Obliterated Power (Pentagon) (2022), Cristin Tierney Gallery, New York
Collage: Janine Antoni, Unveiling (1994) och Janine Antoni 2038 (2000)
Andres Serrano, Milk Cross (Fluids Series) (1987)
A. Karlsson Rixon, Winter Morning at Santa Monica Beach (1997)
Roxy Paine, Puff Ball Field (1998), photo: Mattias Lindbäck / Liljevalchs