Events – Past and Future

Past Events

Politics and mythology – a seminar on the artist Monica Sjöö

Blessed Be- Monica Sjöö

If you know of any other planned events, please do let me know.

Politics and mythology – a seminar on the artist Monica Sjöö

In conjunction with two exhibitions in Stockholm, Konstfeminism (Art-feminism) and Monica Sjöö – Be Blessed, a seminar was held, placing her life and work in a feminist and art-political context. The seminar was the result of a co-operation between Liljevalchs art gallery and ABF, Stockholm.

West Kennet Long Barrow, Abode of the Dark/Light Mother

Date: Saturday August 26, 2006
Place: ABF-house, Sveavägen 44, Stockholm
Language: Swedish and English

As one of the foremost pioneers in feminist art, Monica Sjöö (1938-2005) has had considerable influence on the international scene, while at the same time remaining relatively unknown in Sweden. At the end of the 1960’s, together with several women artists in Bristol where she was then living, she created a women’s group which sought to develop an new visual language capable of expressing their own experiences, thoughts and feelings. In 1968 she painted the famous God Giving Birth, and continued thereafter to research into ancient goddess traditions. Together with the poet Barbara Mor, she published the comprehensive work The Great Cosmic Mother (1987/1991), followed by The Norse Goddess (2000). Monica Sjöö became an international authority in this area and lectured at seminars and workshops in Europe and North America. She abhorred all forms of oppression and fought actively for women’s art and women’s rights, to stop exploitation of nature and better the conditions of all exploited people. Monica Sjöö has contributed texts and pictures to international and Swedish books and is represented in international art literature.

Program

13.30 Niclas Östlind opens the seminar and will introduce the contributors during the day.
13.35 Maja-Lena Johansson presents the art exhibition Monica Sjöö – Blessed Be (shown at
Konstnärshuset, Smålandsgatan, Stockholm, August 25-September 17). [Swedish]
13.45 Barbro Werkmäster: Monica Sjöö and Sweden. [Swedish]
14.15 Marika Tell: Magic Women – memories of a touring exhibition. [Swedish]
14.45 Peter Tucker: Avebury – a blossoming of Goddess culture (multimedia presentation in English).
14.55 Cilla Ericson: Important places and events in Monica Sjöö’s art. [Swedish]
15.15 Break for refreshments.
15.45 Onja Dowling: Ecology, place and spirituality – Monica Sjöö’s art from a human-
ecological perspective. [Swedish/English]
16.15 Griselda Pollock: Remembering and Revising – Feminist studies in the long
perspective. [English]
17.00-17.30 Summary and questions.

Contributors

Onja Dowling: human-ecologist.
Cilla Ericson: artist and art teacher.
Maja-Lena Johansson: coordinator of exhibitions at the Anna Nordlander Museum.
Griselda Pollock: professor in the social and critical history of art, Univ. of Leeds.
Marika Tell: art teacher and artist.
Peter Tucker: artist and art teacher.
Barbro Werkmäster: art historian and curator.
Niclas Östlind: intendent, Liljevalch’s art gallery


Blessed Be- Monica Sjöö

Exhibition with works by Monica Sjöö from the Anna Nordlander Museum collection.

Opening: August 24 2006
Exhibition period 25th Aug-17th September 2006.

Konstnärshuset, (the Artist´s house) Smålandsgatan 7, Stockholm, Sweden