Tensta Konsthall

Tensta konsthall is a center for contemporary art in the suburb of Tensta, northwest of the city center. The gallery works with artists from both Sweden and abroad, often in conjunction with local associations and organizations in the area. Artists who have exhibited in the gallery include Tris Vonna-Michell, Iman Issa, Shirin Neshat, International Festival, Marie-Louise Ekman, Diana Thater, and Oda Projesi.

Tensta konsthall was inaugurated in 1998, the same year that Stockholm was the European Cultural Capital. The gallery is a result of a local grassroots initiative, which coincided with the “Outer Suburb Project,” a Stockholm municipal investment in particular suburbs. The founder of Tensta konsthall was the artist and social worker Gregor Wroblewski. As director of the gallery, he was followed by Konst 2 (Rodrigo Mallea Lira, Ylva Ogland, and Jelena Zetterqvist) and William Easton. Maria Lind has been the director of Tensta konsthall since 2011. The gallery is located at Taxingeplan, in formerly unused storage space underneath Tensta Shopping Mall, and encompasses about 700 m².

Tensta lies 20 minutes by underground from the Stockholm Central Station and is dominated by a large housing area that was built in 1967-72. Tensta is the largest single housing area in the so-called Million Dwellings Programme (1965-74). In Tensta, some 6,000 flats share space with Iron Age graves, rune stones, one of the Stockholm region’s oldest churches, a former military training ground from the early 20th century, and the nature reserve, Järvafältet (Järva Field). Tensta has a population of around 19,000 people, of whom nearly 90 percent have trans-local backgrounds. Statistically, the average income in Tensta is lower and unemployment higher than in the rest of Sweden,and it is one of the most segregated cities not only in Sweden but also in the whole of Europe.

In 2012, the annual budget of Tensta konsthall was 8.8 million Swedish kronor, which represents an increase of about 3 million from the previous year. It has been a private foundation since 2000, financed primarily by the municipality of Stockholm and the Swedish state via the Swedish Arts Council. At present, financial support from the municipality and state constitutes around 50-60 percent of the gallery’s proceeds; the remainder comes from other sources. The gallery’s visitors come from near and far, and in 2012 they numbered more than 20,000. The gallery has free admission.

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Wikipedia