Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise

Art from the Collection of Marika & CG Wachtmeister

2025

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2025

Lada 1

The picture shows a work by Janine Antoni.

After World War II, New York replaced Paris as the center of modern art. Since then, it has not only dominated the global art market but also become a magnet for international artists, with art museums at the forefront and new artistic expressions continually emerging. But the recent power shift in the U.S. has sent shockwaves. The culture war is escalating, diversity initiatives and grants are being rolled back, and artistic and institutional freedoms are eroded. The situation is tense, but it is also fueling creativity and resilience.

This exhibition presents works from the at collection that Marika and CG Wachtmeister have built over half a century. Under the current circumstances, Vandalorum has chosen to focus on the couple's longstanding relationship with the American art world. The exhibition includes works by over forty internationally influential artists who have been active during the developments that have shaped the country, from the 1970s to our present day, when the very preservation of democracy is uncertain.

Marika and CG Wachtmeister traveled together to New York for the first time in 1974. Since then, the city and their encounters with its artists have served as their greatest source of inspiration. Many of the artists in the exhibition have resonated far beyond the art world, and political undercurrents often run through their work. Some tackle painful chapters in history and current society, while others explore how the artistic process can offer perspective and hope. What they have in common is their disarming directness—whether in expression, visual, language, or materiality.
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In 1987, Marika Wachtmeister founded the exhibition program at Wanås in Skåne, now an internationally recognized sculpture park with over 80 permanent works set in a majestic beech forest and historic buildings.

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). The exhibition title comes from Truisms (1977-79) by Jenny Holzer.

Artists in the exhibition: Marina Abramović (b. 1946), Janine Antoni (b. 1964), Donald Baechler (1956–2022), Barbara Bloom (b. 1951), Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010), Christo (1935–2020), Chris Doyle (b. 1959), Suzan Etkin (b. 1955), Nan Goldin (b. 1953), Marcia Hafif (1929–2018), Ann Hamilton (b. 1956), Richard Hamilton (1922–2011), Hans Hammarskiöld (1925–2012), Jenny Holzer (b. 1950), Robert Indiana (1928–2018), Emily Jacir (b. 1970), Mathias Johansson (b. 1961), Gittan Jönsson (b. 1948), Axel (Annica) Karlsson Rixon (b. 1962), Monika Larsen Dennis (b. 1963), Maria Friberg (b. 1966), Allan McCollum (b. 1944), Zoran Naskovski (b. 1960), Richard Nonas (1936–2021), Claes Oldenburg (1929–2022), Karyn Olivier (b. 1968), Yoko Ono (b. 1933), Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd (1934–2016), Gabriel Orozco (b. 1962), Roxy Paine (b. 1966), Martin L. Puryear (b. 1941), Jason Rhoades (1965–2006), Magnus Rutberg (b. 1975), Jason Salavon (b. 1970), Kathleen Schimert (b. 1963), Dread Scott (b. 1965), Richard Serra (1938–2024), Andres Serrano (b. 1950), Ann-Sofi Sidén (b. 1962), Anne Thulin (b. 1953), Palle Vedel (b. 1955), Kara Walker (b. 1969), Robert Wilson (b. 1941)

Thanks to: Tore G Wärenstam Foundation, Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, Swedish Arts Council, Region Jönköping County, Värnamo Municipality, Vandalorum Partners: Hamrin, Liljedahl, Svenstig

^{Photos:
Janine Antoni, Unveiling (1994), photo: Patrik Lindell
Exhibition photos at Vandalorum, photo: Patrik Lindell
A. Karlsson Rixon,}^{Winter Morning at Santa Monica Beach}^{(1997)
Richard Hamilton,}^{Guggenheim chrome}^{(1970)
Janine Antoni}²⁰³⁸^{(2000)
A. Karlsson Rixon,}^{The Artists' Luncheon}^{(1997)
Lousie Bourgeois,}^Spider⁽¹⁹⁹⁵⁾