Swedish bulletin winter 2013 by Swedish Bulletin

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WINTER 2013

Dear Readers, The Swedish Bulletin is back! This year was great for Sweden, with the economy growing, the limelight of President Obama’s visit and good summer weather. What else can we ask for?

W I N T E R I 2013 P U B L I S H E D BY SWEDISH BULLETIN HB

RESPONSIBLE PUBLISHER AND CHIEF EDITOR TERESA IVARS A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R JUAN C IVARS LANGUAGE EDITOR M AT T L U D LO W COVER FA D I E L K H O U R Y C O U T U R E P H O T O G R A P H E R : E M M A E LW I N

L AY O U T MADELENE SÖRINDER MADELENE@PERFECTSTORM.SE CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE D A V I D B A R TA L E R I C PA G L I A CHRISTINA LINDEROTH-OLSON MICHAEL HELANDER PAT R I C I A B R E N N A N R I C K N E L L CHRISTINE DEMSTEADER CHRISTIAN VON ESSEN E L I Z A B E T H D A C E Y- F O N D E L I U S JUDI LEMBKE MOIRA SULLIVAN ADVERTISING SMTM MEDIA GROUP MARTIN.BERG@SMTMMEDIA.SE +46(0)76 – 00 00 817 A D M I N I S T R AT I O N AND SUBSCRIPTIONS LARS EKHOLM +46 (0) 8 – 446 13 13 OR +46 (0) 70 – 235 13 13 PRINTERS PRINT STUDIO OÜ TA L L I N N , E S T O N I A

In this issue we feature the 40th Jubilee of The King of Sweden. This year King Carl XVI Gustaf has been Sweden’s Head of State for 40 years. In 1973, at the young age of 27, Crown Prince Carl Gustaf became the world’s youngest king, in one of the oldest monarchies. In this issue our main focus is on Lithuania and the close relations and history shared by our two countries. Through the SB interviews of Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarunas and Linas Linkevičius, Foreign Minister of Lithuania, we learn about the successful Lithuanian Presidency of the EU and the deepening cooperation between Baltic and Nordic states. In our section Swedish Companies you read about the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, Sweden’s largest and most influential business federation, representing 49 member organisations and 60.000 member companies with more than 1.6 million employees.You can read also about Business Sweden, the organisation facilitates for Swedish companies to grow internationally and for foreign companies to invest in Sweden. In the Swedish Regions section the Port of Gothenburg is presented to you, as is Umeå the European Capital of Culture in 2014, with the ambition to grant the city and northern Sweden further visibility within Europe. Find out more about the Nobel Prize, the Light and Darkness, the two parallel Exhibitions at the National Museum and of Magasin 3 – a dynamic meeting place for contemporary art lovers. During the Xmas season approaching SB presents some cheerfully festive articles about film, gourmet, people and lifestyle. Mmmm… Enjoy it! The days may be getting shorter and darker, but Swedish Bulletin shows its readers that Sweden still has much to offer during this festive season. Season’s Greetings, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2014!

SWEDISH BULLETIN E N G E L B R E K T S G ATA N 3 3 A 114 32 STOCKHOLM +46 (0) 8 – 446 13 13 info@swedishbulletin.se w w w. s w e d i s h b u l l e t i n . s e © Swedish Bulletin. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any format or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopies, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Teresa Ivars Publisher and Chief Editor

SWEDISH BULLETIN

SPECIAL FEATURE

FEATURE: THE NOBEL PRIZE

26 Alice Munro wins Nobel Prize for a storied carrier

Swedish king celebrates 40 years on the throne

FOCUS: LITHUANIA 10 Lithuania and the emergence of the Nordic-Baltic region 14

Linas Linkevičius, Foreign Minister of Lithuania: On the role of regions and the presidency of the European Union

SWEDISH COMPANIES 18

The Confederation of Swedish Entreprise

29 Ten things to know about Nobel laureates PEOPLE 30 Fadi el Khoury: Crystals don't make Couture 33

Know your Swedes: The Networker

34 Siavosh Derakhti: The first Raoul Wallenberg Prize winner SWEDISH REGIONS

20 Business Sweden – the Swedish Trade & Invest Council

36 World Class Shipping at the Port of Gothenburg

22 Renova – from Waste to Clean Energy

40 Putting Umeå on the Map

WINTER 2013

CULTURE & MORE

THE SEASON

50 Light and Darkness at Nationalmuseum

62 A West Coast Holiday Season

52 Magasin 3 – A dynamic meeting place for contemporary art lovers

65 The Swedish Gingerbread House – Appetizing Swedish Christmas Construction

Creating a new Vasa Cannon

GOURMET

LIFESTYLE

66 The golden cuisine

56 Stampen – Happy Jazz please...

68 Grand Hôtel – An institution in constant transition

FILM

SWEDISH DIARY

58 Maja Borg's "Future My Love" Explores Jacque Fresco's Futurist Model

70 Twenty years on: Closer to home than ever

Anna Odell's “The Reunion”: A Documentary on Bullying in Sweden

SPECIAL FEATURE

Swedish king celebrates 40 years on the throne Although the popularity of the monarchy has declined in recent years, the Swedish Royal family continues to have a uniquely elevated place in this society. King Carl XVI Gustaf celebrated 40 years on the throne in mid-September, which was commemorated with a dance at the Royal Castle, a dinner with government ministers and other festivities. In connection with the 40th Jubilee the King and Queen will be travelling around Sweden and visit 21 counties with the environmental issue an important part of the program. T E X T: D A V I D B A R TA L P H O T O : B R U N O E H R S

ogether with dozens

of other accredited photographers and journalists from around the world, I waited impatiently for several hours on the steps of the Nordiska Museum. I waited for a brief glimpse of the Royal Family as they arrived for the government dinner. Security men with dogs inspected the area for bombs a short time before as guests in tuxedos and brilliant frocks started to arrive in limousines. Jostling with the paparazzi for a good view, I reflected about the paradox: Sweden is one of the most modern, egalitarian societies in the world, but there is deep-rooted fascination and respect for royalty, an institution going back to the Middle Ages based upon privilege, inherited status and wealth. Of course, those who are born into the Royal Family have little choice about their participation in this historical tradition, just as they have no choice about the attendant media scrutiny- which at times can be intrusive and cruel. Carl XVI Gustaf succeeded his grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf on September 15, 1973. He is the only son of Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gothia and Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten. His father Prince Gustaf Adolf was killed in an airplane crash in Copenhagen about one year after he was born.

The new monarch was forced to find his own style, since he could hardly change himself into a crusty 90-year-old. The early years of his reign took place during the early 1970s, a time when the established order was challenged at universities, in the media and in the political sphere. Some of the monarchy’s few remaining formal powers were removed in 1975, following a government compromise.

“I was well prepared for the task. But I do not think that anyone can really understand, despite everything, what this can mean for one personally.”

On ascending the throne, the King adopted the motto: “For Sweden with the times.”Referring to the challenges involved in following his motto, the king said: “I have tried to live according to my motto by being sensitive to the currents in society, and to the demands, needs and expectations placed on a monarch with the times. For me it is a matter of living in harmony with developments in Sweden and the whole of an ever-changing world. ..My concern revolves around environmental issues and the considerable challenge of leaving our vulnerable planet in a good condition for future generations.”

“After all, I was very young in comparison with my grandfather. I was just 27 years old, and he was in his 90s (when he died). It is clear that it is not easy for the Swedish people to put their trust in a youth. It was not easy, neither for me nor for the Swedish public.”

“I would say that Sweden and the Swedes are specialists on compromises and that is perhaps why we are so good at solving conflicts, because we always find a third way, the king told Swedish Radio. He observed that the monarchy in Sweden has only a“symbolic, representative role.”

Interviewed by Swedish Radio shortly before the 40-year celebration of his reign, the Swedish king, now age 67, was asked about the situation when his grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf had died, and he was next in line for the throne:

The monarchy acts as a unifying force and as a neutral and a nonpartisan Head of State. There have been several high and low points during the Swedish king’s 40-year-rein. One major high point was a speech made in 2004, following the Indian Ocean tsunami.The tidal wave cost the lives of 543 Swedish people, many of whom were on vacation in Thailand. The whole country was traumatized. Speaking to survivors of the disaster, King Carl XVI Gustaf said that he wished that he could make everything better and say, like a king in a fairytale, that everyone lived happily ever after. “But I am just another grieving fellow human being.” He remembered the sorrow he felt as a child about his missing father. He observed that many of the tsunami survivors who were children had lost one or both parents. “I know what that is like, because I have been one of those children. My father died in a plane crash when I was very little. So I know what it means to grow up without a father. Compared to other children I was certainly lucky, but a missing father is always irreplaceable for a child. ” The king’s speech served as a sort of catharsis for many, and was widely appreciated. It is clear from his recent interview with Swedish radio that King Carl XVI Gustaf genuinely enjoys his role as head of state and representative of the nation. Asked how long he will continue to occupy the throne, he said that his tenure will be determined by his health. “I am very much looking forward to continuing to work on behalf of Sweden and representing the country in various situations.” You can find out more about these eventful years in the exhibition “40 years on the throne – 40 years serving Sweden”. In the Hall of State and the Royal Apartments – the setting for many of the king’s official duties – unique objects and images from the king’s forty years as head of state have been brought together. ♣

FOCUS: LITHUANIA

Lithuania AND THE EMERGENCE OF T H E N O R D I C - B A LT I C R E G I O N

Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarunas is part of the first generation of Lithuanians that rebuilt a modern state that is poised to play an important role in an emerging European region. T E X T A N D P H O T O : E R I C PA G L I A

that have passed since independence was regained by Lithuania can be described as a building boom. From the rubble of an occupied Soviet republic, a generation of Lithuanians that came of age in the early 1990s have built a modern European state. Furthermore they are now helping construct a Nordic-Baltic community replete with institutions intended to promote political coordination and foster a trans-Baltic regional identity. Lithuania’s history and unique geopolitical position, moreover, makes it a natural builder of bridges to countries to the east that look longingly to Europe for a future of prosperity and political inclusion. he two decades

“My career as a diplomat very much reflects the modern history of Lithuania,” says Eitvydas Bajarunas, Lithuania’s ambassador to

Sweden. Trained in mathematics at the end of the Soviet era, Ambassador Bajarunas, like many of his peers in disciplines such as engineering and economics, entered public service to fill a massive void in fledgling ministries such as Defense and Foreign Affairs. “Our naiveté was a big weapon,” he muses. “Lithuania took a strategic decision to join NATO and the EU as fast as possible,” according to the Ambassador. While more experienced diplomats might have been daunted by the obstacles of achieving such audacious objectives so quickly, “the peculiarity of that first wave of Lithuanian politicians and diplomats made this possible,” he says. By 2004 Lithuania was a full member of the European Union as well as NATO, and is currently holding the rotating Presidency of the EU Council. Economic matters are

one of the main priorities of Lithuania’s EU presidency, and Ambassador Bajarunas contends that his country’s management of the recent financial crisis, characterised by fiscal and monetary discipline, is an indication of Lithuania’s affinity with its Nordic neighbours. “We Lithuanians think very much in a Nordic way. When the crisis hit in 2008, we did not react by borrowing money. Instead, we cut expenses. We took a more ‘Protestant’ approach,” despite the fact that most Lithuanians are Catholic and are sometimes referred to in jest by Estonians and Latvians as the Italians of the Baltic” The success of Nordic-inspired austerity is clear, as Lithuania this year is the second fastest growing economy in the EU. Learning from the Swedish experience of building a prosperous and stable society, with a competitive economy that

“There is also a strong ideological connection on how we see the outside world.The region is also increasingly known internationally as an area of innovation and information technology, and combined our countries represent the 11th largest economy in the world.”

promotes innovation, is one of Ambassador Bajarunas’ main priorities during his stay in Stockholm. He believes that the Nordic socio-economic model is something Lithuania should aspire to, and that much can be borrowed and beneficially transported across the Baltic.Yet there remains a significant lack of cultural and societal awareness between Sweden and Lithuania that must be overcome, according to Ambassador Bajarunas. Moreover, Lithuania’s long history is little known and occasionally misrepresented in Sweden and elsewhere. For instance, the historic kingdom of PolandLithuania that dates back to the 14th century is sometimes simply presented as ‘Poland’ in Swedish museum displays or textbooks. Such inaccuracies can be a sensitive matter for a country that in the recent past was for centuries, as the Ambassador points out, deleted from the map.

While the populations on either side of the Baltic still have much to learn about one another, political leaders are well aware of their countries’ common interests and the benefits of cooperating in the international arena. The Nordic Baltic Eight (NB8) – consisting of Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden – has become a political institution that mirrors the emerging trans-Baltic regional identity. Under the NB8 umbrella, meetings on the ministerial level such as the recent gathering of foreign ministers in Visby are now held on a regular basis. Within the European Union context, Nordic and Baltic leaders often coordinate their positions ahead of key debates and decisions. “The Nordic-Baltic region is becoming like a family of some of the most politically stable, economically sustainable and competitive countries in the world,” »

FOCUS: LITHUANIA

» says Ambassador Bajarunas. “There is also a strong ideological connection on how we see the outside world.” . “The region is also increasingly known internationally as an area of innovation and information technology, and combined our countries represent the 11th largest economy in the world,” according to the Ambassador. Greater European policy coordination on energy issues is another Lithuanian priority during its EU presidency. Within this sector, a powerful infrastructural symbol of trans-Baltic region building is the NordBalt undersea power cable, currently under construction, which will transmit electricity from Sweden and thus reduce Lithuania’s historic dependence on Russia for its energy needs. Adherence by the Baltic States to the common Nordic electricity market – NordPoolSpot – is also well under way. History is in fact one of Ambassador Bajarunas’ favorite subjects to which he devotes much of his spare time; reading

historical works and visiting the many renowned museums in Stockholm. Although important for personal reflection and national self-understanding, preoccupation with the past is, however, not the optimal way forward for Lithuania or other countries that are in earlier stages of transition. This, the Ambassador argues, is an important message that Lithuania can convey to eastern states that aspire to move politically and economically closer to Europe. Lithuania has chosen to enhance the Eastern Partnership during its EU presidency. This Polish-Swedish initiative opens the door to former Soviet states for closer cooperation and even eventual membership in the European Union. The lessons Lithuania has learned from its own post-Soviet history could in this regard benefit Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Armenia in reforming their political and economic systems and developing their civil societies. Ambassador Bajarunas emphasizes that these countries should

themselves decide and do what they think is in their own national interest, much like that first generation of Lithuanian politicians, civil servants and diplomats. With time on its side, Lithuania has developed what is now a highly professionalized diplomatic corps. They, like their predecessors, also very much look to the west when forging Lithuania’s future. The Baltic is not only a European region: it is an integral part of the wider transatlantic community, Ambassador Bajarunas contends. A strong affirmation of these deep transatlantic ties were the recent meetings between US President Barack Obama and the leaders of the Baltic countries in Washington, and their Nordic counterparts in Stockholm. While much remains to be accomplished, the remarkable achievements of the past twenty years are a testament to a generation that was unexpectedly called upon to build a state upon the Baltic and reinsert Lithuania into European history. ♣

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On the role of regions and the presidency of the European Union T E X T: E R I C PA G L I A

ike ambassador eitvydas

Bajarunas, Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius belongs to the generation that built the political and bureaucratic structures of modern Lithuania. Before his current appointment he had twice served as Minister of Defence as well as numerous other senior government positions. During a brief stop in Sweden's capital on his way to the NB8 Foreign Ministers meeting in Visby, Foreign Minister Linkevičius spoke with Swedish Bulletin about Lithuania’s presidency of the European Union and the deepening cooperation between Baltic and Nordic states. “Coordinating the views of like-minded countries and adding value to the common basket, this is our task,” says Foreign Minister Linkevičius on the subject of NordicBaltic cooperation within the European Union. “Regional cooperation is natural to Europe, as for instance in the Danube region. This is how the European Union works, and it does not come at the expense of unity,” according to the Foreign Minister.

“The Nordic family is well known. We are glad that the Baltic countries have been added to this family, and that our cooperation is slowing becoming integration.” Foreign Minister Linkevičius to some extent downplays the influence of the country holding the presidency of the European Union. “We are not reinventing the wheel,” he says, describing the EU president’s role as that of a moderator, honest broker and facilitator of ongoing processes. He does however elaborate three pillars that represent the main priorities of Lithuania’s EU presidency: Credible Europe, Growing Europe, and Open Europe. The first, Credible Europe, entails fiscal discipline and robust financial management to convince external markets that Europe is capable of coping with its economic crisis. This pillar also includes internal credibility, meaning accountability towards the citizens of Europe. This pillar also connects to Growing Europe, as high unemployment rates, especially among European youth, undermine faith in the Union. Further implementation of the

internal market, and increased coordination of energy policy, are two aspects of a Growing Europe, according to the Foreign Minister. Finally, Open Europe refers to Europe’s external borders as well as dialogue and association agreements with 3rd countries such as Ukraine and Belarus. Foreign Minister Linkevičius considers Lithuania’s particular national experience an asset in shaping macro-regional strategies such as the Eastern Partnership, an EU initiative for which a summit was held in Vilnius in November. The Foreign Minister also mentions the importance of relations between Europe and the Nordic-Baltic region with the United States. Lithuania and the other Baltic states have enjoyed a particularly close strategic partnership with the US since their independence, a relationship that continues to be strong to this day. On the European Union level, another Lithuanian priority are negotiations with the US on a free trade agreement that, according to Foreign Minister Linkevičius, could raise GDP on both sides by 4 to 5%. ♣

PHOTO: COURTESY OF LITHUANIAN EMBASSY

FOCUS: LITHUANIA & SWEDEN

LINAS LINKEVIČIUS, FOREIGN MINISTER OF LITHUANIA

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RIMA INGSTAD

C OM E A N D E X PL OR E BUSI N E S S OPP ORT U N I T I E S I N L I T H UA N I A When it comes to the Baltic States, it is not uncommon that people tend to think of them as indistinguishable and as forming one unified market. Or perhaps they tend to know more about Latvia and Estonia, without realizing that each country is very different and that many opportunities await in Lithuania. T E X T: R I M A I N G S TA D, C O N TA C T LT U A B , B U S I N E S S C O N TA C T S W I T H L I T H U A N I A

For a long time, Lithuania was the underdog of the European economy - a country that was strongly affected by the Soviet regime and which had to struggle to pick itself up, but which is now developing at an impressive speed. In the last decade, Lithuania has gone from being a rather forgotten country to becoming the biggest market in the Baltic States. Business is spread throughout the country, with increasing exports in the construction, carpentry, IT, metal and plastic manufacturing, furniture production, printings, arts, agriculture sectors and many more. Within the European Union, Lithuanian exports are currently showing the fastest rate of growth. In addition to trade with other European countries, Russia remains an important export market for Lithuania. We have learned from the previous crisis the importance of having diversified markets. Lithuania is also perfectly located at the crossroads between West and East,

and this means we understand both mentalities, and can effectively serve both markets. Just recently, Lithuania was ranked 17th in the World Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Doing Business report. The Lithuanian business climate is not only friendly, it is passionate. Lithuania has one of the EUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lowest corporate tax rates, free economic zones, a highly educated and professional but not expensive labor force. We have great enthusiasm for what we do; we do more than is expected. We know how to solve difficult situations. Contact LT (known previously as Swedish Business Centre) works mainly in establishing business contacts between Lithuanian and Swedish companies, yet nowadays is open to working with other European countries too. It has been functioning now for 11 years, becoming the representative of the Chamber of Commerce for Southern Sweden in Lithuania in 2008. Contact LT is a private company with an emphasis on effi-

ciency and flexibility. As the owner, I handle many aspects of business, from finding a suitable production company or even production line if that is what you need, to helping companies establish on their own in Lithuania. I work with a great variety of sectors, catering for nearly any field of interest. I can also offer market research and organize business trips to the other Baltic States. Working with a different country involves certain cultural differences yet there are also numerous benefits in finding international solutions. Lithuanian companies are constantly looking for export and import opportunities, offering effective services, production, and optimized costs. Labor and production costs are much lower and delivery terms are fast, often taking only 2-4 days. Lithuanians worldwide are recognized as hardworking people, eager to increase delivery rates without diminishing product quality. Many Scandinavian banks and telecommunication companies have set up

branches in Lithuania, making interaction for businesses of our countries even easier. I believe that to come to fully appreciate another country, it is important to get a good feel for it. Therefore, in planning business visits for my customers, I also like to offer them a number of activities in order to show them some of our national treasures. In my experience, many Swedish visitors are pleasantly surprised to discover Lithuania as a modern European country with greatly developed businesses, educated people and a beautiful landscape. I have often received great feedback from customers on the impression left by our culture, - the beauty of unique Vilnius Old Town, which is the biggest in East Europe,Vilnius university that is older even than Lund’s, a beautiful coastline with white sand and the famous Nida dunes, spa resorts, the rich cultural life with great operas, classical and jazz concerts, delicious food coupled with great service, the Lithuanian language which is one of the oldest languages in

PHOTO:JURATE STONGVILIENE

P H O T O : R A M U N A S D A N I S E V I C I U S , W W W. D A N I S E V I C I U S . LT

Europe, and many more fascinating aspects and sights. People enjoy life here. The relatively low cost of living is also appreciated.Vilnius has a reputation as one of the cheapest European cities, while at the same time having so much to offer. My goal and that of Contact LT is to invite as many Swedish business people as possible to come to Lithuania and find business partners and to discover Lithuania. Flights from Sweden to Vilnius take just 1,5 – 2 hours. I provide a personalized service for Contact LT customers: I meet customers at the airport; bring them to their hotel, accompany and assist them during business meetings, which are fully and professionally planned in advance. Because of the richness of choice and locations, all business trips organized by Contact LT are completely tailored to the customer’s needs. Sometimes company visits can extend over 3-4 days and we can clock up 100 Swedish miles in order to find just the right partner for the customer’s business

needs. There is no reason why these cannot also be pleasant scenic trips. My aim is that you do not feel a stranger in an unknown country. And I feel sure that you will bring home many positive memories of Lithuania and its business possibilities. I can honestly say that my customers have so far never been disappointed with what they have seen and experienced in Lithuania. Finally, during the second half of 2013, Lithuania holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This means that already many global political and business leaders, as well as tourists, have been visiting Lithuania since July. We welcome this European and world focus on Lithuania and will build on this into the future. ♣

www.contactlt.lt

S W E D I S H C O M PA N I E S

THE CONFEDERATION OF SWEDISH ENTREPRISE The confederation is Sweden’s largest and most important business federation. It plays an important part in the negotiations for a trans-atlantic trade and investment partnership – TTIP. T E X T: C H R I S T I N A L I N D E R O T H - O L S O N P H O T O : C O U R T E S Y O F T H E C O N F E D E R AT I O N O F S W E D I S H E N T R E P R I S E

most important market. For several years, The Confederation of Swedish Entreprise, Svenskt Näringsliv, has been part of the dialogue EU-USA to promote the two continents trade relationship, which is the largest in the world. During President Barack Obama’s visit to Stockholm in September 2013, the first-ever bilateral visit by a US President sa is europe ’ s

NIKLAS BERGSTRÖM, Director EU and International Affairs at The Confederation of Swedish Entreprise

to Sweden, this issue was an important part of the discussions. “EU and USA are mutually each other’s most important trade partner. USA is the only major western economy which lacks a trade agreement with the EU. The customs tarifs are already low, less than four per cent, but we want to reduce the existing regulatory restrictions and hope to achieve a transatlantic free trade agreement to promote trade in goods and services. Today, products must be tested on both sides of the Atlantic. An agreement on mutual recognition would reduce costs and be beneficial for both sides. Both continents need growth to further investments and employment,” says Niklas Bergström, Director EU and International Affairs at The Confederation of Swedish Entreprise. Sweden is known to have healthy finances, but like the rest of the EU, it faces major challenges such as an aging population, unemployment and too few entrepreneurs. Swedish global companies meet increasingly tough competition. Niklas Bergström is International Coordinator and the right hand of Hans Stråberg, Director of Investor AB, who is the EU Co-Chair of the Transatlantic Business Dialogue, TABD, a CEOled organisation within the Trans Atlantic Business Council. TABD enables business leaders to meet with governement representatives on the highest level. “The free trade negotiation is a real challenge. It deals with several issues and some, like agriculture, are more delicate than others. The Confederation of Swedish Entreprise have lobbied and worked on this project for several years. Business has

a key role when it comes to trade liberalisation and opening of markets”, says Niklas Bergström. He emphasises that the negotiations will be a race to the top, but the idea is to achieve a 21st Model Agreement that will set a standard for every possible area. An important consideration is to counteract the hugely expanding China, setting future global standards in areas such as environment. There is still a long way to go, though, probably up to two years before a free trade agreement is in place.

“Business has a key role when it comes to trade liberalisation and opening of markets.” The Confederation of Swedish Entreprise is Sweden’s largest and most influential business federation. It represents 49 member organisations and 60,000 member companies with more than 1.6 million employees. It was founded in 2001, the result of a merger between the Swedish Employers’ Confederation and the Federation of Swedish Industry. The headquarters is located in the centre of Stockholm. ♣ For further information, visit www.svensktnaringsliv.se

The head quarter of The Confederation of Swedish Entreprise is located in N채ringslivets Hus in the centre of Stockholm.

S W E D I S H C O M PA N I E S

MAGNUS RUNNBECK, Senior Analyst at Business Sweden

BUSINESS SWEDEN

the Swedish Trade & Invest Council

“Swedes are known for innovative solutions and an ability to work across disciplines. We have an open and international business climate and the national productivity is very high.”

B U S I N E S S S W E D E N FA C I L I TAT E S F O R S W E D I S H C O M PA N I E S T O G R O W I N T E R N AT I O N A L LY A N D F O R F O R E I G N C O M PA N I E S T O I N V E S T I N S W E D E N . TEXT: CHRISTINA LINDEROTH-OLSON PHOTO: COURTESY OF BUSINESS SWEDEN

greatest importance to Sweden. With offices in 57 countries and in every region in the country, Business Sweden helps small and middle-size companies to reach export markets with their products and services. Their industry specialists advise on distribution, development, investment and many other issues. xport is of the

“Nine years ago, Business Sweden established the annual Stora Exportpriset, (Great Export Award), a prize to a highly successful Swedish export company. Baby Björn, manufacturer of the Baby Carrier, was the first company to be awarded. The networking solutions company Transmode is another award winning example. Three crucial factors for success, as we see it, are uniqueness, smart thinking and the ability to create a niche market”, says Magnus Runnbeck, Senior Analyst at Business Sweden. The most important export markets are the Nordic countries, Germany and USA,

while exports to Emerging Markets in Asia, for example China and India, and the Gulf States are growing. Swedish companies are highly specialised in areas such as ICT, the automotive industry, security, mining and steel, forestry and energy. Life Science is an expanding industry due to an aging population. The science infrastructure is world class and the state-of-the art hospital, New Karolinska Solna, under construction near Stockholm, is likely to attract top international researchers, as well as the two world leading centres of materials research, ESS and the Max IV Lab in Lund. BUSINESS SWEDEN ADVISES INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES ON INVESTMENT IN SWEDEN

The organisation proactively identifies interesting companies in 14 countries, for example China, Japan, USA, India and a few European countries, to attract and help them set up and run a business in Sweden. “You have access to both the domestic

and the Scandinavian markets, and also to the 500 million consumers in the EU – Sweden is a perfect place for market operations in Northern Europe. Swedes are known for innovative solutions and an ability to work across disciplines.We have an open and international business climate and the national productivity is very high. And last, but not least, many ex-patriots find Sweden, with its well-functioning society, healthy environment and good housing, a good place to live and work in”, says Magnus Runnbeck. Business Sweden was founded in January 2013, a merger of the Swedish Trade Council and Invest Sweden. It is jointly owned by the Swedish government and the industry, represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swedish Foreign Trade Association. The head office is located in Stockholm. ♣ For further information, visit www.business-sweden.se

S W E D I S H C O M PA N I E S

RENOVA From Waste to Clean Energy Recycling in Sweden. We have all heard that the Swedes are very good at it. But how does it affect our daily lives? Most likely a portion of the electricity or heating used while you read this article was created as a result of the incineration of our waste. The Swedish Bulletin was given inside access to Renova’s waste-to-energy plant, one of the world’s most advanced facilities for burning waste specifically for heating and electricity production. T E X T: M I C H A E L H E L A N D E R P H O T O S : C O U R T E S Y O F R E N O V A

Sweden’s leading waste management company and according to Communications Officer, Christian Lowhagen, this single incineration facility accounts for 30% of district heating in the region’s network (fjärrvärme) and 5% of the energy needs for Gothenburg’s residents. That’s the annual electricity consumption for 110,000 apartments and enova is west

heating and hot water for 150,000 apartments. Between two to three hundred trash trucks deliver waste daily to the facility, a facility so large the trucks drive directly inside the building before dumping their loads down one of four massive concrete canyons. Combustion is just one part of the recycling chain in Sweden. Everything we don’t sort for recycling ends up in a mixed waste category to be burned and transformed into energy. Renova describes the process: flue gases formed during combustion heat the water in the boiler, which is transformed into steam and conducted to a turbine that spins and in turn drives a generator that produces electricity. The steam is then cooled back into water in a condenser. The heat is consumed by the district heating system as hot water which is circulated to households and businesses for heating. Simple, right? »

Fred Perry Authentic shops: Bondegatan 46, Stockholm / Sรถdra Larmgatan 13, Gรถteborg

S W E D I S H C O M PA N I E S

FACTS Waste Handling Hierarchy: Reduce Waste Reuse Materials Recovery Energy Recovery Landfill

» Actually, the technology behind Renova’s world-class incineration facility was developed over four decades with four wasteto-energy units, or burning lines. Waste combustion is a highly complex process and the burning lines resemble a concrete abyss with two oversized claws sliding the entire length of the canyon of waste. When lowered into the depths of debris and waste, the claws are reminiscent of amusement park arcade games where kids line up in the hopes of dropping a claw to carry up their prize. “The waste held in a single claw load is enough to heat one house in Sweden for 12 months,” shared Löwhagen. From our observation point atop the waste collection lines, the view is quite unnerving, both from a height perspective as well as the sheer quantity of waste. “Renova has permission and capacity to process up to 550,000 tons of waste per year,” said Löwhagen. “Right now we have excess capacity which is why other countries send their waste to us for processing.” And the

benefit of waste-to-energy remains right here in Sweden in the form of electricity and heating. Minimizing the environmental impact of waste-to-energy is a priority for Renova. “The energy we produce here at this facility equals a savings of 175,000 tons of oil each year,” Löwhagen points out. “Still, the best way to help the environment is to reduce the quantity of waste we produce.” According to Renova it takes 20 times less energy to produce an aluminium can from recycled material than to produce the same can from new material. And producing 1 can from new materials consumes the same electricity that is required for your child to play a video game for 8 hours. We ended the tour of Renova with the question of how can we as individuals make a difference with the excess production of packaging that has become the norm. “That is the question we should each ask ourselves,” replied Löwhagen. “It is the first step.” ♣

Fred Perry Authentic shops: Bondegatan 46, Stockholm / Sรถdra Larmgatan 13, Gรถteborg

FEATURE: THE NOBEL PRIZE

“

Why do I like to write short stories? Well, I certainly didn’t intend to. I was going to write a novel. And still! I still come up with ideas for novels. And I even start novels. But something happens to them. They break up. I look at what I really want to do with the material, and it never turns out to be a novel. But when I was younger, it was simply a matter of expediency. I had small children, I didn’t have any help. Some of this was before the days of automatic washing machines, if you can actually believe it. There was no way I could get that kind of time. I couldn’t look ahead and say, this is going to take me a year, because I thought every moment something might happen that would take all time away from me. So I wrote in bits and pieces with a limited time expectation. Perhaps I got used to thinking of my material in terms of things that worked that way. And then when I got a little more time, I started writing these odder stories, which branch out a lot.” – Alice Munro

26 26

PHOTO: DEREK SHAPTON

ALICE MUNRO

wins Nobel Prize for a storied career Calling her a “master of the contemporary short story”, the Swedish Academy has awarded 82-year-old Alice Munro with the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature, not long after she announced her retirement from fiction. She is the first Canadian and the 13th woman to win the prestigious prize. T E X T: PAT R I C I A B R E N N A N R I C K N E L L

dditionally , she has

received the 2009 Man Booker International Prize for her lifetime body of work and is a three-time winner of Canada's Governor General's Award for fiction.

Alice Munro was born in Wingham, Ontario. She began writing stories in her teens, but it wasn’t until 1968 that she published her first collection, Dance of the Happy Shades. Her subsequent work, Lives of Girls and Women, was published in 1971 and is considered her Bildungsroman. Munro is known mainly for her short stories and has written 14 collections. Her focus on the short story is perhaps a matter of expediency. Early in her career, as a mother of three, she explains that she “wrote in bits and pieces with a limited time expectation.” Her works include Who Do You Think You Are? (1978), The Moons of Jupiter (1982), Runaway (2004), The View from Castle Rock (2006) and Too Much Happiness (2009).

The collection Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage (2001) was the basis of the 2006 film, Away from Her. Often likened to Chekhov, Munro is acclaimed for her finely tuned narratives typified by clarity and realism. Her stories are often set in small towns in her native Huron county, of which she extols: “It means something to me that no other country can – no matter how important historically that other country may be, how ‘beautiful,’ how lively and interesting. I am intoxicated by this particular landscape… I speak the language.” Munro’s stories generally feature the dilemmas of a girl coming of age in a community that is both idyllic and oppressive, although in later works, her focus shifts to the travails of middle age and beyond. They also include descriptions of everyday life where little happens, but where people are faced with existential questions. Indeed, it is a mark of her style for her characters to experience a revela-

tion – an epiphany – that gives meaning to an event. Her Nobel Prize is a long-awaited triumph not just for Canada, but for the short story itself: a genre offering little room to manoeuver and where it is difficult to introduce the traditional elements of dramatic structure like characters, climax and resolution. Munro achieves this with aplomb, virtually squeezing a novel into each story. “I would really hope this would make people see the short story as an important art, not just something you played around with until you got a novel,” she told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation just after the announcement of her Nobel win. Dear Life appears to be her last collection of stories, since earlier this year, she told the National Post in Canada that she was finished writing. For the sake of her many fans around the world, let us hope that this is not the case. ♣ Congratulations, Ms. Munro!

FEATURE: THE NOBEL PRIZE

T E N T HIN GS TO K NOW A BOU T N O B E L L A U R E AT E S The Swedish Bulletin’s guide to getting to know some of this year’s winners and a touch of trivia surrounding the awards over the last 112 years. T E X T: C H R I S T I N E D E M S T E A D E R P H O T O : O L A E R I K S S O N

1. DRIVE TO WIN Randy Schekman can now start taking his car to work. The co-winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is currently a professor in Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California in Berkeley.. Academics at UC Berkeley receive a parking space for life if they win a Nobel Prize. 2. NON, MERCI French writer Jean-Paul Satre turned down the honour of becoming Literature laureate in 1964. The writer was well known for avoiding all honours and since there is no way to decline a Nobel Prize, his name still stands. Researchers will be able to find out more in 2014 when the previously sealed deliberations of the Nobel Committee are opened after 50 years. 3. WHERE IS THE WINNER? According to Swedish media, professor Peter Higgs, who was jointly awarded the 2013 Nobel

Prize in Physics went into hiding on the day of the announcement. The behaviour is typical for the 84-year old British scientist who is reportedly adverse to modern technology and doesn’t own a mobile phone. 4. THE BIG REGRET Gandhi was nominated five times between 1937 and 1948 for the Nobel Peace Prize, but never won, an omission that the Nobel Committee has publicly regretted. In 1948, the year of Ghandi’s death, no award was made, with the claim that “there was no suitable living candidate.” 5. ANSWERPHONE AWARD Alice Munro, the first Canadian to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature was informed of her win via her answerphone. Ahead of the official 2013 announcement, Peter Englund, permanant secretary of the Swedish Academy, left her a message and it was Munro’s daughter Sheila who woke her mother up with the good news.

6. PEACE PRIZE CONFLICT Swedish parliamentarian Erik Brandt nominated Adolf Hitler for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1939. Never intended to be taken seriously, the nod was a political comment in response to a separate nomination of then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Brandt withdrew his nomination within days and no one was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize that year. 7. TWO PEOPLE have been awarded Nobel prizes in multiple fields. American chemist, and peace activist Linus Pauling was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962. French-Polish physicist and chemist, Marie Curie shared the Physics prize in 1903 and won the Chemistry Prize in 1911 for her pioneering research on radioactivity. 8. AMERICANS Eugene Fama, Lars Peter Hansen and Robert Shiller won the 2013 prize in Economic Sciences

in memory of Alfred Nobel for developing methods to study trends in stock, bond and housing markets. Having been bestowed with Nobel honour, the trio will be famed for life. In 1996, Economics Laureate William Vickrey died of a heart, attack just three days after learning he had won the award. 9. THE LIFE OF 1994 Economics laureate John Forbes Nash was portrayed on screen by Russell Crowe in the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind. The award-winning movie took four Academy Awards and was based on the Pulitzer Prizenominated 1998 book of the same name. 10. LAUREATES CAN SPEND their prize money how they wish. Not only a scientific genius, Albert Einstein also had the foresight to predict a future Nobel Prize. He was awarded the Physics Prize in 1921 and had already promised his winnings to first wife Mileva Marić in their previous divorce settlement. ♣

PHOTO: FREDRIK FUNCK / DN / TT

PEOPLE

CRYSTALS DON’T MAKE COUTURE:

FADI EL KHOURY

When it comes to clothes, one size doesn’t fit all. And within the frenzied world of fashion, the designs of rising Swedish star Fadi el Khoury are created with a stylish difference. “I’m not really a fashion person,” el Khoury says. It’s a remarkable comment for the couturier who has taken the Swedish fashion industry by storm.

T E X T: C H R I S T I N E D E M S T E A D E R

2012, his debut collection was sold exclusively at Rosenrummet NK in Stockholm.Swedish fashionistas took note and later that year he was invited to open Stockholm Fashion Week. Gone was the predictable and practical wardrobe of the Swedish season and in came seamless luxury and opulence. His name was seemingly plucked from obscurity to wow with his debut collection but those that knew better recognised his seven-year stint in the top fashion houses of Paris, including the likes of Christian Dior. These days he is a favourite of the Swedish royal household too. He dressed Crown Princess Victoria for Stockholm Fashion Week and went on to create the stunning beaded gown she adorned for Princess Madeleine’s wedding in 2013. n spring

When el Khoury decided to return home to Sweden, little did he know that his extended holiday would be the start of a whole new chapter in his career. “I never thought I was leaving Paris for definite,” he says. “I thought it would be a small period of time in Sweden to deal with normality, have fun and be with my friends and family.” Yet, curiosity got the better of him. He delved into the happenings of Swedish fashion, often labelled with the fast fashion tag of the high street, and became intent on changing that. “I love couture because of the handcraft,” he says. “It’s really not about how many crystals you put on a gown,” he adds. “ If I as a designer don’t take my responsibility we will have robots making our clothes at the end of the day.”

PHOTO: KRISTIAN LÖVEBORG

PHOTO: JOHN GRIPENHOLM

PHOTO: KRISTIAN LÖVEBORG

Every el Khoury garment is made exclusively by hand. He can often be found boarding a flight to Italy where he sources a team of seamstresses. He talks of giving fabrics a texture, a personality and character and personifies the passion for fashion cliché. THE PARADOX

It all began as a child living and growing up Beirut. When not at school, the young Fadi spent much of his time in the clothing boutique owned by his mother. “Women were sat around discussing gossip or marriage problems - and I found it fascinating,” het adds. “It made a big impression on me.” It captured the essence of the modern lounge concept that el Khoury has now created. The women today are looking for one of his individual designs made to measure, and treasure. “I adore women,” he says. “But women can also be very fragile. They come to me and expect me to make magic but if you don’t feel beautiful with the simple things, you won’t feel beautiful in one of my dresses either.” Indeed, his Swedish comeback has enabled el Khoury to appreciate the smaller things in life. He shuns a flash pad in the city and instead lives with his parents, staying in an outhouse in the garden of their home outside Stockholm. His humble residence regularly provides a source of amusement for journalists. “I think they bring it up because it doesn’t make sense,” he says. “I do it on purpose because I don’t want to live extravagantly. I don’t do my job to be extravagant, I do it because its beautiful.” But there lies a paradox within el Khoury’s world. A designer from a small town with big dreams, who happily

lives without the luxuries his client demand and pay a high price for. He argues, however, that his creations are accessible to all. “When clients come to me they are making an investment. I am aiming for any woman that would love to have items in her wardrobe to be able to feel beautiful, powerful. Then she can mix it with any ready-to-wear item for a personal touch– I would love to see that.”

“I love couture because of the handcraft. It’s really not about how many crystals you put on a gown.” His demeanour is humble and unassuming which doesn’t seem the right fit for his chosen industry. “When I say I’m not a fashion person I am the typical designer all dressed in black who socialises with editors and stylists.” he says. “At the end of the day it’s just clothes – we’re not changing the world. I want to show you can be a fashion designer and also be down to earth.” ♣ For more information: www.fadielkhoury.com or email info@fadielkhoury.com Contact Rosenrummet: tel: 08-762 88 80

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PEOPLE

K N OW YO U R SW ED ES

The networker He is the chairman of a powerful industry association and three (!) times past President of Stockholm’s International Rotary Club. At the same time he is a business advisor and loves new projects. No wonder that Gustaf-Wilhelm Hellstedt is the perfect networker. T E X T A N D P H O T O : C H R I S T I A N V O N E S S E N

he journalistic angle for our interview is somewhat blurry. On one hand, Gustaf-Wilhelm Hellstedt is chairman of the board at SACS – Swedish Associaton of Civil Security – where he acts as spokesperson for influential corporations such as Ericsson, Siemens, Securitas and Volvo Technology; SACS was founded in 2006 as a branch to the employers’ organization Teknikföretagen. On the other hand he is on the board of Stockholm International Rotary Club, the only English speaking Rotary club in Stockholm, with 49 more or less dignified members with international connections. He has recently stepped down as president for the third time in the club’s ten year history. Rotary was not long ago perceived as a secret brotherhood for old, rich men and their business colleagues. Gustaf-Wilhelm smiles at the cliché. He was himself introduced to Rotary by his father, and by the time he was a teenager he had received a Rotary Youth Leadership Award scholarship. “In our club we have about 58 per cent women and the average age is around 50, he says. Of course we develop our professional network, but the most important work we do is within different charity projects, both internationally and locally.” He also finds time to be one of the judges in Venture Cup, a popular business plan competition for entrepreneurs. “We coach and support the entrepreneurs of both today and tomorrow.You really feel that there is a future for the industry in Sweden when participating in the jury for Venture Cup. There are so many fantastic ideas out there!”

JACK OF ALL TRADES

All three of these assignments are done pro

bono, GW informs me. His main work is in fact as an entrepreneur and independent advisor within marketing strategies and business turnarounds. Gustaf-Wilhelm Hellstedt is not afraid to jump into new projects and businesses. “Oh, I have done many things, he says. I started working at what was then known as Beijers Auktioner during my studies. After that I started my own company, which bought art and antiques and sold it to other dealers and export markets. I have worked within forestry, agriculture and founded an IT company in 1994. Then I worked with a company in the CBRN – chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear – industry. That’s when I became one of the founders of SACS.” 3,500 FRIENDS

We touch the subject of social media, which GW uses professionally every day. He recently conducted a social experiment to see how he could popularize himself on Facebook using various techniques. He soon counted to 3,500 “friends” and 1,500 “followers”, which makes his network potentially quite powerful. But also LinkedIn is used on a daily basis – the social networks are key to everything today, GW claims. The dynamics of different perspectives, experiences and backgrounds add up to create a synergy that is the very core of his business. “I believe in meeting many different people and try new things as often as possible. For example, I love doing acting sometimes and I have starred in several TV commercials, TV series and some films over the years. It’s a perfect way of really going outside the box and seeing something completely new.” Maybe the angle is right there. ♣

GUSTAV-WILHELM HELLSTED Age: 52 Lives: Gärdet, Stockholm. Family: Divorced, three children (14, 18, 21), two hunting dogs. Spare-time: Hunting, acting, travelling, sports. Loves to read and participate in cultural events.

PEOPLE

SIAVOSH DERAKHTI:

The first Raoul Wallenberg Prize winner The 2013 Raoul Wallenberg Prize was awarded on 27 August to a young Muslim from Malmö, Siavosh Derakhti. It is the first time ever that the Prize, a prestige honor, has been awarded. T E X T: E L I Z A B E T H D A C E Y- F O N D E L I U S PHOTO: FREDRIK JALHED

current issues related to human rights, the importance of personal responsibility and the possibility for a single person to make a difference.” The Prize awards 100,000 SEK “To a person in Sweden who follows in the spirit of Raoul Wallenberg principally through awareness-raising activities for children and young people about xenophobia and related forms of intolerance. ”

he raoul wallenberg prize

has been created through the efforts of the Raoul Wallenberg Academy and the Swedish government, who are together responsible for the prize. August 27th was not a date that was chosen at random. The Swedish name almanac reveals that it is the day to commemorate the name Raoul. The Swedish Academy had decided earlier in 2013 to rededicate the Raoul name-day to be recognized annually as Remembrance Day. According to the Academy, “Raoul Wallenberg Day encourages the work of courage and tolerance and against xenophobia and racism… but above all, more generally to highlight and discuss

Its first recipient, Siavosh Derakhti, founded an association called the Young Muslims Against Anti-Semitism (Unga Muslimer mot Antisemitism) at the age of 19. Since its start it has broadened its directive. Today it is now called Young People Against AntiSemitism and Xenophobia ('Unga mot Antisemitism & Främlingsfientlighet'). Derakhti is the son of Azerbaijani-Turkish immigrants from Iran. This remarkable 22-year old has lived his entire life in Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city with an infamous reputation of being a hotbed for ethnically-related unrest and discrimination.

In 2010, the year it all started, there had been reports of Malmö’s Jewish community uprooting themselves in the face of rising anti-Semitism. Derakhti recounts the events that led to his drive to make a difference. “I wanted to build bridges between Jews and Muslims in Malmö, because there is a problem with anti-Semitism in the city.” So Derakhti decided to act. “It started as a school project when I organized a class trip to the Auschwitz concentration camp. I did not think we'd learned enough about the Holocaust in school.” This year’s award was handed out by the current Minister of Integration, Erik Ullenhag with a number of dignitaries in the audience. This new Raoul Wallenberg Prize follows closely on the heels of 2012’s yearlong, global commemoration of the 100th anniversary of a man who gave his life to save many. It is appropriate that we are reminded of a quote from the Babylonian Talmud often ascribed to the selfless deeds of an unassuming Swedish diplomat, “Whoever saves one human life, is as if he saved the world.” ♣

two universities, 34,000 students and an average age of 38.

1,156

Umeå has grown by 1,156 people a year over the last ten years.

WWW.Umea.se/naringsliV

Umeå’s it sector has expanded by around 800 people in the last seven years.

statistiCs sWeden

We aim to build an attractive city with twice as many homes in the centre.

Umeå is the fourth municipality in sweden in terms of average growth over the last five years.

, Umeå is one of the coUntry s three fastest-growing cities. Umeå mUniCipality’s master plan

BUsiness mUniCipality of the year, UC

one of the very best sporting cities in sweden. sVt

eUrostat, the eU’s statistiCal offiCe

Umeå

117,294

sundsvall

96,687

gävle

96,170

luleå

74,905

Östersund 59,485

northern sweden’s best and the country’s sixth best municipality to live in. “foKUs” magazine, 2013

population 31 dec 2012. statistiCs sWeden

Umeå. more oPPortUnities.

200,000 City planning is based on a growth target of 200,000 inhabitants by the year 2050. We aim to create a rich urban life for more residents and companies. Umeå mUniCipality’s master plan

www.umea.se

SWEDISH REGIONS

WORLD CLASS at the Port of SHIPPING Gothenburg West Sweden has a long and colourful shipping history that not only opens the World’s gateway to Scandinavia, but to the entire Baltic region. Those of us who live in Sweden are totally dependent on trade for the goods and services that touch our daily lives. Having a major international shipping hub nearby is critical for the Swedish economy, and the Port of Gothenburg provides a comprehensive logistics centre for all of Scandinavia and beyond. T E X T: M I C H A E L H E L A N D E R P H O T O S : C O U R T E S Y O F T H E P O R T O F G O T H E N B U R G

he port of gothenburg

is the largest seaport across Scandinavia with over 11,000 ship visits each year, which is 30 ships per day on average. Whether arriving from the eastern shores of China or departing for the eastern shores of the United States, the goods that land in or leave Gothenburg are within 500 kilometers of 70 percent of Scandinavian’s industry and population. One-third of all trade with Sweden passes through the port. The port has 140 direct link connections with strategic locations around the world, and according to Cecilia Carlsson, Corporate Communications Manager, one of the main missions for the port is to continue to build direct lines. “About 30 to 40% of

FACTS PORT OF GOTHENBURG 2012 • 900,000 containers, TEU • 534,000 roll-on/roll-off units • 163,000 new cars • 1.7 million passengers • 22.2 million tonnes of oil • 42 million tonnes of freight

Scandinavia partnership. In fact the Port’s rail tracks are the busiest in all of Sweden, with goods sent out to locations in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Iceland and Latvia. The world’s largest container ship with 18,000 containers on board has also docked at the Port of Gothenburg, twice this year alone.

Swedish products are going out to the rest of the world. Asia, Africa and South America are great distances and require safe and speedy transit at a low cost.” She continued, “We have to be clever how we develop our ports to get the rest of the world to ship all the way up to Scandinavia,” which explains the port’s commitment to developing strategic partnerships that create an extensive logistics infrastructure. A world class port is built on the foundation of a solid support infrastructure. And Gothenburg has 24 kilometers of quay, a quayside productivity of 100 containers per hour, it’s open 24 hours per day - all year round, and has 25 rail shuttles and terminals located throughout Sweden and Norway as part of the award-winning Railport

“Many Swedish companies are dependent on a having accessibility to a world-class shipping hub,” said Carlsson. Companies like Tomoku Hus in Dalarna, where 1,300 timber houses travel via Railport Scandinavia to Gothenburg before spending 50 days on a ship to Japan. Absolut Vodka would not be one of the most recognizable brands in the world if it weren’t for the shipping capabilities of the Port of Gothenburg. “People relate to the port every day without thinking about it,” shared Carlsson. Each time we sit with a cup of coffee, or eat Thai food, or purchase clothes, we are consuming goods that have passed through the Port of Gothenburg. The extensive transportation requirements to move such a high volume of goods is one reason sustainability is always a priority at the Port of Gothenburg. And they are quickly becoming leaders in their industry. Study groups from as far away as China visit to learn more about reducing the

environmental impact of the shipping industry. Increased rail capacity through the Railport Scandinavia partnership means 60,000 tonnes of carbon emissions were saved in 2012 alone, which equals the emissions of 17,000 passenger cars for an entire year. By 2015 the Port of Gothenburg plans to be a carbon-neutral company. They are at the forefront of promoting cleaner fuels in the transportation industry by becoming a liquefied natural gas hub for the shipping logistics chain. The Port of Gothenburg was also the first in the world to offer a high voltage onshore power supply, allowing docked vessels to shut down diesel engines and thus contributing considerable environmental benefits. While docked, a single vessel uses the same amount of energy that a normal household in Sweden uses for an entire year, which means there are significant environmental gains if the energy used is electricity instead of diesel fuels. Because of the region’s balanced import and export industry, the Port of Gothenburg has weathered many economic storms and remained competitive throughout their 400-year legacy. In fact, the Port of Gothenburg was established one year prior to the establishment of Gothenburg as a city. As Carlsson puts it, “We like to say that it is the port that built the city.” Quite right. ♣

CONTACTOR

Active citizenship is created by strategic dialogues on several development projects in the community and one of these recently won an international innovation Prize.

VÄSBY TOWN – TOWARDS A Väsby is the first community in Sweden that is entirely eco-certified, which means that we are particularly committed to work for a sustainable development in several aspects. We are creating a modern town with www.upplandsvasby.se

The new public multiuse facility called Messingen have combined schools, conferences, libraries, sports and eating in one house that just recieved the Swedish Grand Community development price 2012.

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY active participation from residents and business. We strive for diversity that empowers all citizens. VĂ¤sby town offers qualitative service and attractive living in the expanding Stockholm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Arlanda region.

PHOTO:PER LUNDBERG

PHOTO: OLA HANSSON

SWEDISH REGIONS

Putting UMEÅ on the map Throughout 2014 Umeå will be celebrating its year as European Capital of Culture, with an ambition to make the city, and northern Sweden, more visible in Europe.

Jan Björinge it’s about expanding on the city’s dynamic cultural scene, built over the last 50 years, and literally putting Umeå on the map. “When we were bidding for the title as a candidate, the jury could not find us on the map,” he says. “Many ordinary European maps simply stop at Stockholm and there is nothing above.” Yet, over the next 12 months, a calendar packed with events, exhibitions, concerts and and festivals will help more people to discover Sweden’s twelfth biggest city and why this northern hub deserves to be recognised as a cultural hotspot. “Umeå started to invest in culture in the mid 70s and every year invests around 70 per cent more per capita in culture than any other Swedish municipality,” adds Björinge. tor

Two of the biggest cultural additions to the city that continue to thrive today are the Opera of northern Sweden, Norrland Opera, which was established in 1974. And the annual Umeå Jazz Festival that premiered in 1968 and is now one of the largest modern jazz events in Scandinavia. 40

“Culture is driving the attraction of the city,” says Björinge. “And that’s why very many students like to stay on after they finish their exams because they enjoy the energy it has to offer.” Umeå University was established in the mid-1960s and, along with students from all over the world, it brought an intellectual contrast to the heavy industry that has long been associated with northern Sweden. Students contributed to a significant population expansion and a wider multi-cultural mix. Today, people from around 130 different countries live in Umeå, which enhances the global reach of the city’s cultural scene. The Sami population and culture will also be addressed during the course of the year. Umeå2014 has reserved funds to host a series of seminars on issues that affect the Sami community. “Sami are the only indigenous people of the EU,” says Björinge. “The city of Umeå is tasked by the Swedish government to be an national authority on Sami culture so it’s our job to promote it. “We are not only working with it as an exotic culture that creates curiosity but in terms of

the everyday conflicts, such as reindeer herders and the mining industry. So there are a lot of important questions to discuss.” As winter, Dálvvie - the first of eight Sami seasons begins – the inauguration of the European Capital of Culture year begins. The three-day celebration is being held January 31st – February 2nd and the city centre is set to transform into a theatre of snow, ice, fire and light. According to the invitation, the “whole of Europe” are on the guest list. The average increase in visitor numbers for European Capitals of Culture stands at around 11 per cent but Umeå is pushing for more. “We can see very a rapid increase in visitors to our website and there’s a lot of attention from European media already,” Björinge says. “We aim to become one of the more well known European Capitals of Culture; many look at Umeå as being a groundbreaking example because for us it’s about a long-term plan of culture-driven growth. Indeed, 2014 is just the kick off for a city and regional development vision that is working

or umeå2014 direc-

T E X T: C H R I S T I N E D E M S T E A D E R

JAN BJÖRINGE, Director of UMEÅ2014

towards 2050. Today Umeå has a population of 118,000. By 2050, it is expected that the city will have 200,000 inhabitants. Culture has been cited as the engine of economic growth and long-term sustainable development. “This is a project to build international relations,” Björinge says. “We’re taking Umeå and the ‘northern room’ out in the world and bringing Europe and the world to Umeå.” ♣ More information and events calendar: http://umea2014.se

FOTO: MATS BURMAN, ATELJÉ UGGLA

PETER LARSSON, CEO of Swedish Regional Airports

T H E F LY I NG SP OK E SM A N He’s the airports’ go-to guy. Peter Larsson works as a lobbyist for the regional Swedish airports and he knows that even a small operation can be very important. T E X T: H E N R I K P E R S S O N

In Linköping, a handful of propped up fighter jets adorn the busiest junctions. Lansen, Draken,Viggen – symbols of modern history and Swedish engineering excellence. That they’re there is thanks to Peter Larsson. Usually, it’s kind of hard to verbalize exactly what you’ve achieved, but this was something very tangible, Peter says jokingly. On his current job, as CEO of Swedish Regional Airports, SRF, Larsson won’t be leaving anything like a 20-ton jet behind. Nonetheless, it is a very important job, especially when viewed from a northern, more peripheral perspective.

“I am the CEO but really I’m the only person working here. Swedavia has more resources and employs a group of people whereas I have to do everything from make coffee to speak with ministers”, Larsson says. Swedish regional airports, SRF, has existed as a corporation for two years, although the union dates back much longer. Peter Larsson’s job is to monitor the politics and public debate on aviation, as well as communicate the SRF members' interests. It is a disparate group of airports from Ängelholm in the south to Pajala in the north, but many have a lot in common.

“Obviously, we have to struggle much more. Our members, in most cases, are owned by the municipalities and in a lot of areas, the costs of running an airport are actually the same regardless of its size. But as a group, we have a lot more leverage.” Northern Sweden is known for its untamed wilderness and vast natural resources . Assets that cannot be utilized properly without an extensive network of regional airports, Larsson claims. “We have a slogan that goes ”land wherever you want”. Norrland is the last bit of true wilderness, and it’s a key industrial region. A foreign audience should have easy access to that.”

M E E T S W E DE N'S NORT H E R N A I R P ORT S

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PAJALA

GELLIVARE

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HEMAVAN

 ARVIDSJAUR

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VILHELMINA

FACTS SRF Swedish Regional Airports, Inc (SRF) is owned by the Swedish regional airport association (SRFF) which is a cooperation body for the Swedish non-government airports. SRF aims to develop aviation and, as a result, accessibility for all Swedish regions. SRF works by influencing decision makers and relevant state agencies, with the goal of sustaining and developing its operations. SRF currently has 36 member airports and is represented throughout the country, from Pajala in the north to Kristianstad in the south. SRF also strives to help airports lower their costs and increasing their profits.

As part of this work, SRF performs joint procurements of goods and services as members typically have similar needs. To further contribute to the cost-effectiveness of non-government airport, SRF carries out a number of projects based on members’ needs and requests. These projects have resulted in a joint quality management system, training, marketing efforts, databases etc. The opinion of the SRF is that the efforts carried out are of great benefit to the members as well as the regions that they represent.

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HÖGA KUSTEN

“The winter months make up the bulk of our income here. Aviation has been absolutely crucial in this development” RALF LUNDBERG, Chief of Operations at Arvidsjaur Airport

IC E ROA D C A PI TA L Arvidsjaur has made an incredible journey. Today, it’s an auto industry Mekka and few people are more aware of the importance of focusing on development, than Ralf Lundberg. T E X T: H E N R I K P E R S S O N

Winter’s here, it’s cold and the road is spotted with ice. The staff of 26 is working hard at Arvidsjaur Airport. The airport is young, just over 20 years, but it’s already played an integral role in the region’s meteoric growth. You see, that cold and ice thing has turned out to be lucrative. For a number of years, Arvidsjaur has been the auto industry’s go-to place for winter testing. 92 percent of all tests are performed here and the companies have invested hundreds of millions in operations. A welcome development in a region that rarely gets anything for free. “The winter months make up the bulk of our income here. Aviation has been absolutely crucial in this development”, says Ralf Lundberg, chief of operations at Arvidsjaur Airport. For a while now, Arvidsjaur has been running charter lines to four cities in Germany. Many passengers work in operations but tourists are coming, too. Some auto companies run their own event agencies,

offering regular Germans a winter weekend of ice racing and similar activites. A common voice Ralf Lundberg is a man of many talents. Aside from running the airport, he’s also the chairman of UFNI, short for Development of Aviation Hinterland Northland. UFNI is an association of seven regional, northern airports, with the purpose of influencing decision makers and working toward common goals. “It’s been good, we’ve made a name for ourselves and earned some respect. We’ve even procured on our own”, says Lundberg. Public procurement is a hot issue for all member airports. Ralf Lundberg and UFNI feel that the state has contracted operators based on the wrong priorities, and that it might be due to a lack of understanding. “They’ve focused on the wrong things when shopping. The state’s not buying with the intention of developing a region,

they’re just looking for the cheapest available option.” UFNI is also critical of the DMV:s plans for 2015-2019. Says Lundberg: “They’re suggesting changes that would make ticket prices very high and that brings us back to the question of money versus development. We should be price conscious but there has to be a system that allows a family in Stockholm to go to Lapland for a week.”

www.ajr.se

PHOTO: @ELISABETH GUSTAVS SON STARK FOTOGRAFI&&DESIGN

“The airport is a necessary part of the national infrastructure.” MARIA E. LIFBOM, Manager at Pajala Airport

” T H E K E Y TO DE V E L OPM E N T ” Pajala is seeing strong growth and a renewed belief in the future. Come Christmas, chartered planes will bring snow-starved Brits to this northern town, and hopefully that’ll be the beginning of something big. T E X T: H E N R I K P E R S S O N

Santa Claus himself, mixed with dog sleds snowmobiles. Those are a few of the things attracting British families to Pajala. In December several planes of tourists will make this slightly unusual trip from England to northern Sweden, to vacation in winter land for a day. The project is a way of utilizing the airport to monetize local resources. “We’re trying a direct route. They get to meet Santa, eat well, try some dog sledding… things like that. Then at night they go back home,” says Maria E. Lifbom, manager at Pajala Airport. Nature’s right around the corner but most other things are far away for Pajala. Stockholm is more than a day away by car.

However, that doesn’t seem to stop the local economy from flourishing. The job market is growing and the municipality has won several awards for its schools and business climate. Tourism has great potential, too, offering mountains and vast forests interspersed with clear lakes and rivers. But a prerequisite for this is an operational airport: “Obviously accessibility is key for people and companies to be able to meet, visit and invest. The airport is a necessary part of the national infrastructure. And the cost is really quite low compared to other types of transport”, Lifbom says. Lifbom strongly opposes any cuts in the airport’s state grants. If anything, she thinks

the operational support should be increased considerably. “I know cuts have been on the table, but I think that would be absolutely devastating. The country has set a goal to double tourism in 20 years, but we’ll need airports for that. The government needs airports and we need the government – I call it a win-win.”

www.pajala.se/Pajala-Airport Airport: +46(0)978 - 511 10 Mail: airport@pajala.se

F LY W I T H YOU R B O OT S ON Few places are as synonymous with skiing as Hemavan and Tärnaby. Here, the landing strip is close enough to the slopes, you can board wearing ski gear. PMS 187 mörk röd

T E X T: H E N R I K P E R S S O N

Winter is peak season in Hemavan. Skiing makes up the bulk of the tourism income and Swedes as well as foreigners flock to the slopes. Aviation plays a big part and there’s a unique closeness here. “For us, everything’s close. Where else could you land 500 meters from the slopes? You could wear ski boots on your way over”, says airport manager Torbjörn Utsi. At Hemavan, about a quarter of the passengers are Norwegians. It’s mainly because of them that the airport is looking into the possibility of flying to Gotland in the future. “Gotland’s known as the Swedish Riviera and the Norwegians like that a lot. So we want to offer them a simple way of going

there. Perhaps we could fly to Vasa in Finland, too”, says Utsi. The airport also works as a travel agency, to offer its customers a more complete experience in (mainly) Stockholm. Plane Svart tickets, accommodation and entertainment are sold as a complete package. From Hemavan passengers are a quick, comfy flight away from Arlanda, where the entire Mälardalen region is at their disposal. To enable more people to fly, the operator is currently working on a new ticket system that will help customers CMYK find cheaper seats. This will help keep the C0 M 100 planes full. Y 79 K 20 Hemavan Airport employs a staff of 16 and the planes are small. Public support,

Gill Sans Bold Italic

therefore, is an absolute necessity to keep things running. Says Utsi: “We need support for our business. Without it, we’d have to close up shop entirely. Us being here means a lot to the whole region, not just the ski tourism. An airport puts you on the map.”

www.hemavantarnabyairport.se

B AC K B ON E OF T H E E C ONOM Y Mail, medical service and a strong mining industry. Many are dependent on Lapland Airport, the heart of the region. T E X T: H E N R I K P E R S S O N

Gällivare municipality is a hub. Rail and road infrastructure is good and Lapland Airport, ten minutes away, offers multiple departures to Stockholm Arlanda. Michael Gustafsson, chief of operations at the airport, sees it as important for ensuring positive regional development. “I think aviation has played a big part in the expansion we’ve seen recently. More and more people fly because it’s fast and employers want to streamline”, Gustafsson says. Gällivare is a smallish municipality of 18 000 people. The mining industry is important and has created a financial boom, but most communities of this size wouldn’t even dream of having their own airport.

The fact that Gällivare does, is partially due to its social significance. It’s on standby for medical flights and it’s part of the postal route for the northernmost region. But above all, daily flights to and from Kiruna, Luleå and Stockholm transport specialskill commuters who work in the mining industry. Hence, Michael Gustafsson thinks Sweden should be considered dependant on Gällivare, and not just the other way around. “The mining industry is a cash cow and a majority of our passengers contribute directly to the economy. Sometimes it might seem like we’re running things for ourselves, but the truth is that we’re important for the country as a whole”, Gustafsson says.

This reversed way of thinking that Gustafsson is calling for, is also the foundation of his view on grants and financing. Says Gustafsson: “Merely suggesting a withdrawal of state funding… that’s like saying we should block all the roads. I don’t even know how to comment on it. To me, the question of having an airport or not, is a non-issue.”

“The airport is imperative for the economy and all local growth. We lack other means of quick travel.” JOHAN HAGELBERG Manager at South Lapland Airport in Vilhelmina

L A N DI NG I N T H E W I L DE R N E S S Four mountain valleys, ten thousand lakes, two thousand kilometers of snowmobile trails; Vilhelmina is all about numbers. Here, confidence is strong and the potential is huge. But without aviation the region would likely struggle. T E X T: H E N R I K P E R S S O N P H O T O : M A G N U S S T R Ö M

The Vilhelmina region is as big as Belgium. The landscape is scenic and there’s plenty of opportunity, especially in tourism. “Landing, you’re surrounded by vast woodlands. The place has a very strong sense of wilderness to it”, says airport manager Johan Hagelberg. The flipside to a wild, untouched landscape is that distances are long – very long. Hence, the region is dependent on aviation to function properly. Businessmen as well as tourists fly from here, mainly to Stockholm although the airport recently experimented with direct routes to Gotland. “The airport is imperative for the economy and all local growth. We lack other means of quick travel. Only aviation can provide the accessibility we require”, Hagelberg says.

Vilhelmina airport is small, as are the planes. Therefore, staff and traveler interaction is great. Everyone knows everyone. “Customers expect everything to work, but we get a lot of appreciation. We’ll make baby formula or plug the heater in for them if need be. It’s a close relationship”, says Hagelberg.

Vilhelmina Airport is run as part of the municipal administration, which is uncommon. Because of its size it is hard for private enterprises to make a profit and state funds make up 3/4 of the budget. Without them, Hagelberg thinks operations would cease. “I don’t think that’ll happen because there’s no other way. But without state support the municipality probably wouldn’t be able to run this on their own. That would be devastating.”

South Lapland www.southlaplandairport.com

There is only one airport with its own railway station in northern Sweden. Umeå 90 min

Nordmaling 60 min Höga Kusten Airport

Sollefteå 35 min by car

Örnsköldsvik 25 min

Höga Kusten Airport Kramfors 13 min Härnösand 35 min Timrå 70 min Sundsvall 90 min

Examples of destinations in the coast region between Sundsvall and Umeå directly accessible by train from Höga Kusten Airport .

www.hogakustenairport.se info@hkairport.se +46 612 718110

C U LT U R E & M O R E

Portrait of Nelson Mandela, 1990. Photo: Cecilia Heisser/Nationalmuseum ÂŠ Hans Gedda

Light and darkness AT NATIONALMUSEUM

Internationally renowned photographer Hans Gedda's black and white images meet the dramatic paintings of 17th century Italian Caravaggisti in two parallell exhibitions. T E X T: C H R I S T I N A L I N D E R O T H - O L S O N

Hendrik ter Brugghen: Girl Holding a Cup, cirka 1620. Photo: Erik Cornelius/Nationalmuseum

his winter nationalmuseum, the National Museum of Art & Swedish National Portrait Gallery, focuses on light and darkness in two exhibitions featuring the photographer Hans Gedda and Caravaggisti. Today, Gedda is probably Sweden's best known portrait photographer. Born in 1942 in the small town of Flen, he began taking photographs in his early teens. ”This is the first major retrospective on Gedda's work, with an emphasis on his art photography. Like many of his colleagues, Gedda first made commercial images, then turned to portraits and eventually developed into a great artist. Early on, he became known for his originality and he acquired a certain status which helped him getting commissions from quality periodicals”, says Magnus Olausson, Director of Collections & Swedish National Portrait Gallery at Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. Gedda's break-through came in 1967 with a portrait of Tove Jansson, the Finnish writer/illustrator who created Moomin. Since then, he has created iconic portraits of many international celebrities, for example Nelson Mandela, Andy Warhol, Ingmar Bergman and Angela Davis. It must be said, though, that not all his models appreciated the result of his efforts. The Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson, one of the world's top opera singers in the 1960s and 70s, did not approve of Gedda's formal portrait. Her humorous rejection is quoted in the exhibition catalogue: ”Hans Gedda shot Birgit Nilsson with Hasselblad. Birgit Nilsson shot Hans Gedda with a machine gun.”

Gedda, who is said to be an impatient man, works quickly. His models testify that sessions with the photographer only last 10-30 minutes, thanks to his brilliant technique and ability to create an atmosphere of trust in the studio.

Nicholas Régnier: Sleeper Awakened by a Young Woman with Fire, cirka 1615/25.Photo: Linn Ahlgren/Nationalmuseum Stockholm.

The exhibition comprises of around 140 photographs, including some early works never before shown. Nearly all are in black and white. Among his self portraits, Self Portrait as the White Clown points to his absorption with circus motifs. For several years, Gedda photographed Cirkus Scott, which resulted in melancholy behind the scenepictures of jugglers and clowns. The colourful section of Caravaggio followers includes works by famous painters, including Francisco de Zurbarán and Jusepe de Ribera. ”The paintings by Caravaggisti should be seen as a historic comment on Gedda's images.You will find several parallells between the pictures, such as vanita motifs in still lifes. The Caravaggisti made highly dramatic emotional pictures, with strong contrasts between light and darkness. Their imagery have inspired contemporary artists, for example Bill Viola, and film directors, for example Scorsese and Pasolini”, continues Magnus Olausson. ♣

HANS GEDDA, CARAVAGGISTI 5 DECEMBER 2013 – 30 MARCH 2014 As Nationalmuseum's building is presently undergoing a major restoration, you will find the two exhibitions at Konstakademien, The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, at Fredsgatan 12, right in the city centre. Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10–18. Tuesday and Thursday 10–20 Telephone: +46 8 5195 4300, +46 8 5195 4310. www.nationalmuseum.se

Self Portrait as the White Clown. Photo: Cecilia Heisser/Nationalmuseum © Hans Gedda Angela Davis, 1972. Photo: Cecilia Heisser/Nationalmuseum © Hans Gedda

C U LT U R E & M O R E

Charles Long: ”Untitled”, 2012. Aquaresin fiberglass and latex paint over steel and found objects. Collection Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall. Photo: Jean Vong/ Courtesy Tanya Bonakdar Gallery. Part of the exhibition ”Otherworldly”.

MAGASIN 3

A dynamic meeting place for contemporary art lovers T E X T: C H R I S T I N A L I N D E R O T H - O L S O N

TWO EXHIBITIONS OTHERWORLDLY AND SIOBHÁN HAPASK A Two exciting exhibitions are presently on view: OTHERWORLDLY features works by Annika von Hauswolff, Anish Kapoor, Charles Long, Pipilotti Rist and Per B Sundberg. It demonstrates how perception is really a creative process and not a passive one. Our life experience inform how we read and interpret what we see, and by encountering the unexpected we are incited to see anew. SIOBHÁN HAPASKA'S multi-sensory works continually extend the definition of sculpture. The artist was born in Northern Ireland and presently lives in London. The exhibitions will both be on view until June 2014. You will find Magasin 3 in a former warehouse in Frihamnen (The Free Port) a few minutes by car or bus from the city centre. Opening hours: Thursday 11 am-7 pm, Friday-Sunday 11 am-5 pm. The café has the same opening hours. Closed Monday-Wednesday. www.magasin3.com

Annika von Hauswolff: Untitled, 2006. Eight gelatin silver prints. Collection Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall. Photo: Christian Saltas.

Siobhán Hapaska: ”Snow Seared”, 2008. Pure sheep's wool, copper, fiberglass, aluminium, English oak, birch, coconuts, silver solder, cotton webbing. Collection Magasin 3 Stockholms Konsthall. Photo: Christian Saltas.

The art museum's exciting exhibitions are based on one of Europe's largest collection of international contemporary art.

in 1987, the contemporary art museum Magasin 3 Stockholm, has played an important role in Sweden's cultural life. It devotes itself almost exclusively to international art and, thanks to a longstanding relationship with Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, was the first Swedish institution to present his work. ”We collect contemporary art and today Magasin 3's collection, comprising of nearly 1,000 works, is one of the largest in Europe. We have introduced established international artists as well as aspiring young ones. Annika von Hausswolff, one of the pioneers in photo based art, is one example. Another is Gunnel Wåhlstrand, who has so far only made 25 paintings. Her images are meticulously painted enlargements of photographs of family members she has never known,” says Director David Neuman, co-founder of Magasin 3. He is also an affiliated professor ince it opened

of the Masters programme in Curating Art at Stockholm University. Magasin 3 is privately funded by financier Robert Weil. The visitors are, for the most part, a younger audience interested in contemporary art. The exhibitions, both solo and group and thematic shows, are often based on works from the collection. Artists have frequently been invited to create new pieces which consequently have been added to the collection. The majority of these consists of three-dimensional works, but they also include drawings, photographs and video art. ”Magasin 3 collaborates with several European museums and we often lend works from our collection to other institutions. Works by Chris Burden are for the time being on loan to New Museum in New York. Future plans include exhibitions in other European cities – and not necessarily in the large art metropolis”, concludes David Neuman. ♣ 53

Culture and tradition with a modern twist.

www.daladrakt.se | info@daladrakt.se 54

C U LT U R E & M O R E

Creating a New Vasa Cannon In 1628, The Vasa Warship sank in Stockholm Harbor on her maiden voyage about 20 minutes after launch and within a mile of her shipyard. When found and raised in the mid 20th century, the nearly intact ship rapidly became Sweden’s most beloved maritime archaeological treasure. T E X T: C H R I S T I N A L I N D E R O T H - O L S O N

the sediment conditions, 95% of the ship remained and her hull was intact. Other invaluable artefacts remained on board including her sails, food stores and other daily supplies. She even contained the skeletal remains of several lost souls. But one of her treasures was plundered, or more accurately, salvaged within a century of her sinking - her cannons. At her launch, she carried 64 bronze cannons, of which 48 were 24-pounders. Only a few remained resting with her in her watery grave for 333 years. mazingly, thanks to

Originally, the conservation efforts and research focused on the ship and its construction. The armament of the Vasa was merely one of many objects for preservation and displays. Only when the ship itself was finally in a stable state having completed its basic conservation and additionally thwarted a lurking menace within her wooden beams, did attention turn to her cannons. Dr. Fred Hocker, the Director of Research at the Vasa Museum, had a long-term interest in discovering the military might the Vasa cannons possessed. Today, we can estimate the power and punch most weapons possess

through established mathematical ballistic models. However, because the Vasa cannons predate ballistic trajectory math, there is really only one way to find out. And that is to fire one. But no one would ever recommend testing firing bronze cannons that were submerged for three centuries. For Dr. Hocker, the museum and the Friends of the Vasa Association there was but one solution; start from scratch. This project is not about producing a lovely display copy of a Vasa cannon. It requires that they reconstruct an authentic 17th century 24-pounder cannon, manufacture gun powder that mimics 17th century explosive properties, then shout, “Fire in the hole!” Imagine the thrill of blasting 10+kg cannon balls at a target…over and over again. And while it sounds more like an eccentric’s extravagant fantasy, the objective of this monumental project is research and data collection to provide figures for 17th century ballistic math. But the know-how and experience to cast a cannon is not on everyone’s CV. Enter Tom Ward. Tom is the current technical designer for the reconstruction cannon

and a Fulbright Research Fellow at the Vasa Museum. It is his job to design and sculpt the new cannon. And he intends it to have the original flair and stature of a royal naval armada’s flagship was intended to have. Ironically, the original Vasa cannons were not the quality they ought to have been. There is a simple explanation as to why. With the early 1600s cannons, it was timeconsuming and costly to forge and distribute them to where they were needed. In Sweden and other European countries, guns would be collected to fit a ship.Vasa was unique in that her cannons were freshly forged and earmarked for the warship. They were also innovative for their day, weighing half of the standard cannon. So the interest in what these guns could do opens up a heap of understanding to 17th century warfare. The project is still in its bronze casting phase, but a ton – and they mean 1000kg and not the figurative usage of a lot – of 17th century gunpowder has been ordered ready for the order to fire. Fred and Tom are hopeful that we will begin calculating real ballistic data as early as spring or summer 2014. Watch this space because the Swedish Bulletin will be there to report. ♣

LIFESTYLE

S TA M P E N

Happy Jazz Please… The sign hanging over the stage says it all: when you come to Stockholm’s legendary jazz and blues club Stampen, either to play or just sip a drink and listen, the vibe is decidedly upbeat, fun, and the focus is on the music. TEXT AND PHOTO: JUDI LEMBKE

had a strong connection with jazz, stretching back to the 1920’s, when the uniquely American music was first introduced. Swedes took to this new form of music immediately, with its popularity spreading through dancehalls and concerts across the country. Some of the finest jazz players around came from Sweden. And this Nordic country also became home to many expatriate American jazz musicians, with the influence from both sides still in evidence today. weden has long

Stampen’s roots in Stockholm’s Old Town stretch back more than 30 years, when the club was founded in an old pawnshop. Upon opening in 1968 it immediately became the go-to spot for music lovers across the city and took pride of place on visitors’ must-see lists. A number of items from its former incarnation as a pawnshop are still hanging dustily from the walls and ceiling of the club, including an old-fashioned pram, model boats, stuffed animals, and of course acres of musical instruments. There are also a couple of bits that are nearly as famous as the musicians who play here, with a stuffed wolf regularly rented out to film sets and a golden eagle shot by King Oscar II. There might be famous items amongst the memorabilia cramming the club but they don’t compare with the famous faces that

have graced the Stampen stage. Some of the big names include pianist Teddy Wilson, tenor saxophonists Ben Webster, Lucky Thompson and Dexter Gordon, and one of the world’s greatest harmonica players, Toots Thielman. Other big names such as Eartha Kitt, Dizzie Gillespie and Charlie Norman have played at Stampen over the years, along with perhaps the finest vocalist Sweden has ever produced, the muchmissed Monica Zetterlund. Even Woody Allen and his clarinet thrilled the crowds one legendary evening, and the Saturday afternoon Blues Jam crowd was once treated to Blues legend Tino Gonzalez clambering up stage and giving them a rare treat. Josef Haddad, with the help of his good friend Ulf Sandström, took over the club in 1998 and while Haddad remains true to the club’s roots, he also knows that musical tastes are constantly evolving. Stampen’s history belies its present and its future: currently the club offers music 6 nights a week, with several stages going full swing on the weekends and often traditional jazz on Sundays. The mix is grounded in jazz and blues but Haddad has added and updated what’s on offer because, as he says, there’s no point in becoming a relic like the things hanging on the walls. Stampen has after work happy hours during the week, each offering different styles. There’s also the aforementioned Saturday

afternoon blues jam, led by New Yorker Brian Kramer and house band Couch Lizards, where players of any skill are welcome to join Brian and the Lizards and show off their chops. Saturday afternoons are particularly popular, with barely standing room only once the doors open at 2pm. At the afternoon jam, one can expect anything from a grizzled old trombone player who plays with practiced ease to a 12-year old saxophonist whose skill leaves the crowd speechless. When you walk through the doors of Stampen you’ll be met by anything from Swing to Trad to Soulful Blues to Rhythm & Blues to Be-bop – the variety of music on offer is endless and often unexpected. One thing you’ll never find at Stampen is boredom, as the mix of players from both home and abroad take to the stage and make it sing, no matter what their style. ♣

STAMPEN Stora Nygatan 5 Old Town/Gamla Stan in Stockholm Phone: 08 205 793 Open Monday – Thursday 17.00 – 01.00 Friday & Saturday 17.00 – 02.00 Saturday afternoon Blues Jam 14.00 Free afterwork shows weeknights 17.00 – 20.00 Occasional Sunday openings www.stampen.se for weekly schedule and further information.

PHOTO: MAJA BORG, MINTTU MÄNTYNEN, ANDREA MICONI.

FILM

Maja Borg's "FUTURE MY LOVE" Explores Jacque Fresco's Futurist Model T E X T: M O I R A S U L L I V A N

Moira Sullivan is a member of the Swedish Film Critics Association and the International Association of Film Critics (FIPRESCI and FEODORA).

MAJA BORG in Future My Love

“

(Sweden, 2012), directed by the young Swedish filmmaker Maja Borg is a well crafted and provocative document about the “Venus Project” in Florida run by 95 year old social engineer old Jacque Fresco (USA) and his partner Roxanne Meadows. According to Fresco it is “a comprehensive plan for social reclamation in which human beings, technology and nature will be able to coexist in a long term, sustainable state of dynamic equilibrium.” All ideas for the future are fundamentally utopian but Fresco bases his ideas on lessons learned from the past. The “futurist” presented his ideas in Sweden in 2010 and 2011. Borg visited him in Florida and decided to make a documentary about his ideas. The film was five years in the making before the “economic crisis” of 2008 when the Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and initiate the downward spiral of the global economy. “Future My Love” is a brilliant assembly of color and black and white documents that exemplify the need for a sustainable economy. As mentioned in the documentary, future my love”

the future is irretrievably pessimistic, though there is the possibility for a world yet to come. Fresco argues, “If we can do so much damage, we can do so much good”. Borg, who is more pessimistic, in voiceover ruefully notes, “Most of us are unwilling to sacrifice the world we have no matter how artificial and shallow it seems”. By the time the film ends, this seems more and more obvious, causing some anxiety. According to Fresco, the depression ended with WWII, not because poverty was solved. He grew up during this time as a teenager and asked a fundamental question: Do we have enough resources for everyone and can we distribute them directly, without money? The answer is affirmative if a “resource based economy” is created. Maja Borg, who spoke about her film at its world premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2012, said that it was intended to illustrate economics as a human relationship other than a complex and abstract system. The film shows how war has been a way to get out of economic crisis. “Now we have three wars and we don’t have much more

to blow up or pollute”, continues Borg in voiceover. “Rather than working on patchwork”, argues Fresco, “let’s see if we can design a culture that is sustainable and that is not socially offensive”. Borg’s film is a lyrical response to this challenge with images and voiceover on the work of Fresco. A parallel to the chaotic and war driven society is made with the personal relationship based on jealousy and anger. Borg applies it to her own relationship with a woman in the Middle East. The sequences are shot in black and white in Super 8 film stock. Borg explained that the film medium is more difficult to control than the immediacy and playback components of digital film. Jacque Fresco is mindful that his followers will transmit his ideas and as a result of Maja Borg’s “Future My Love” they are growing. ♣ MAJA BORG was born in Norrköping, Sweden, in 1982 and is an internationally award-winning visual artist and film director working in documentary, fiction and experimental film. Borg studied Film and Television at Edinburgh College of Art and lives in Glasgow, Scotland.

La Svezia — tra innovazione e tradizione: gastronomia, design, cultura e natura

Photo: Lola Akinmade Åkerström/imagebank.sweden.se

Sweden’s great outdoors is waiting for you to discover it, to explore it and learn from it. Let its wild ways fire your imagination and sense of freedom and challenge you to an adventure. Or just ‘be’ in it. Find out more on www.visitsweden.com

FILM PHOTO: TRIART

ANNA ODELL: The Reunion

Anna Odell's “THE REUNION”: A Documentary on Bullying in Sweden T E X T: M O I R A S U L L I V A N Moira Sullivan is a member of the Swedish Film Critics Association and the International Association of Film Critics (FIPRESCI and FEODORA).

nna odell is a controversial artist in Sweden. In 2005 she did her final exam project on mental illness at the Stockholm College of Arts, Craft and Design. She faked an attempt at suicide on the Liljeholmen Bridge with an interest in being admitted to a psychiatric hospital and we witnessed how she was treated by the medical profession. Her film, Unknown, Woman 2009-349701, consisted of interviews with psychiatrists and medium shots of the gurney that was used to transport her into the hospital. The project caused an uproar in Sweden; charges were brought against her for negligence and she was fined. There are few people working in the cultural world in Sweden that did not hear about this. Clearly Odell has found her niche in provocative documentaries and she has followed suit in “The Reunion” (Återträffen), selected in 2013 for the prestigious Venice Film Festival International Critics Week where it won two international critics awards (FIPRESCI and FEODORA). The innovative form of the film weaves fiction with non-fiction by blurring the boundaries between the two. In real life,

Odell never received an invitation to the 20 year school reunion of her 9th year of primary school. Her experiences were painful and she was ostracized and bullied by her classmates, particularly the boys. “The Reunion” gives her the chance to set the score straight and confront her abusive classmates. But, the reunion really didn’t happen in reality, and there are several instances of playing with the borders of the real and the imagined in her film. The reenactment of the event is painfully difficult to watch, as one by one Odell takes her classmates to task and confronts them. Since the film is based on real life events, it is especially vivid and it is astonishing just how far she goes. In reality there was a reunion and she wasn’t invited, so she decided to write a letter to her classmates to be read at the reunion if it ever occurred. After deciding on making a feature film where she did attend her reunion, she showed the rough cut to her real classmates for their reaction. The camera becomes a witness to the event, as Odell explained in Venice. Bullying is a major problem in Swedish schools where it is not uncommon that

students sue their schools and teachers for not protecting them. Social ostracization can be overt and the silent treatment. One of the aims of the film is to move further towards remedying this societal problem. Anna Odell’s courage and determination brings a pressing problem to the surface. What happens when years after your primary school ends, you still feel the scars of being ridiculed and tormented? Odell uses her life experience to enrich the art world with personal testimony that exposes the invisible and visible power structures and hierarchies in school and in the art world. The theme is well suited to the documentary format that from its inception in 1895 France played with the inscription of fiction into reality and vice versa. ♣

ANNA ODELL was born in 1973 and is educated at the University College of Arts, Craft and Design and the Royal Institute of Art. Okänd, kvinna 2009-349701(Unknown, Woman 2009-349701) was her final work of examination screened in Scandinavia and in Paris in May 2013. Återträffen is her debut feature.

THE SEASON PHOTO: STEFAN KARLBERG

Christmas holiday at Liseberg in Gothenburg.

A WEST COAST HOLIDAY SEASON While most visitors migrate inland with the arrival of colder weather and the dark days of winter, the west coast of Sweden remains alive with holiday activities. Here’s a list of our favourite ways to fill the holiday season this year.

ur first stop is Strömstad, where comfortable walking shoes are a must and holiday shopping is a priority. The northernmost town on Sweden’s west coast, Strömstad is a shopping Mecca that unites residents on both sides of the border. Three million Norwegian and Swedish pilgrims travel to the nearby Nordby Shopping Center every year, making Strömstad Sweden’s 4th largest shopping location. Not to mention the 3rd largest for Norway; no one leaves empty handed.

PHOTO: KIM CA RLSSON

T E X T: M I C H A E L H E L A N D E R

Just down the coast is Grebbestad, a charming little seaside resort where dinner and entertainment take centre stage at the TanumStrand Hotel and Conference resort. Couples, friends and workmates can all be found tapping their feet at the popular TanumStrands Julshow, where this year’s theme highlights the worldwide miracle of Swedish music. Hand clapping fun is guaranteed as guests move from the dinner hall through to sing-a-long festivities at the bar. If you planned in advance, it’s just a short walk back to your hotel room or cabin in TanumStrands Ju

lshow

Dinner on the Swedish ship Gothenburg.

the wee hours of the morning for a late lie-in the next day. If quaint and cosy is what you crave, follow in the footsteps of Baroness Von Platen for a weekend at the Strandflickorna hotel in Lysekil, a mere 7 steps from the sea. After a warm cup of glögg at check-in it’s time to use the exclusive discounts for local boutiques that line Lysekil’s charming Kungsgatan. If you want to skip the holiday shopping, take a stroll along the Stångehufvud nature reserve that wraps around the outer edge of Lysekil’s peninsula. Back at the hotel, a small surprise awaits before you set off for Märtas mat restaurant and a fantastic Christmas dinner spread. Afterwards you’ll dream the night away at Strandflickorna and wake up to breakfast in the cosy dining nook before heading back out into the world. The large island of Orust is host to the annual Orust Slöjds Julutställning at Kulturhuset Kajutan, offering local artisans and craftsmen the chance to showcase their creations, and visitors a chance to purchase unique holiday gifts. The Nordic Watercolor Museum on the island of Tjörn offers 10 kronor watercolour workshops for kids and adults every weekend through December, and a magical children’s book illustrations exhibit you shouldn’t miss. And why not adorn this year’s holiday cards with the calligraphy you mastered at a Soldattorpets Divershandel creative workshop in Stenungsund. No west coast holiday is complete without a visit to Gothenburg’s Liseberg attraction park.Visit the Lappland area and be whisked away to the north of Sweden with tipis, reindeer rides, campfires and folk music. Ice skating, a mini ski slope, Christmas market and more holiday twinkle lights

than one can imagine all create a magical experience for the holidays. If you want to experience one of the most unique Christmas dinners in Gothenburg this year, it’s time to book your place among the cannons on the gun deck of The Swedish Ship Gothenburg. The ship, a full scale replica of the 1800s ships of the Swedish East India Company, is the largest sailing wooden ship in the world today. Continuing south along the coast lies Varberg, which promises something unique with Tippe Tippe Tapas - a new interpretation of Bizet’s Carmen, with characters like Barbro and Janne Josefsson replacing Carmen and Don José. Tapas with a Swedish twist replaces the traditional Christmas buffet, and can be enjoyed with a healthy dose of drama and music. Some holiday moments are best experienced in the sacred space of a church. Halmstad, the small seaside town with a big heart, is welcoming the holiday season with a variety of concerts in their churches that will throughout the festive period. These will include gospel music and the Lucia concerts at Saint Nikolai church. Höganäs, well known for classic Swedish crockery, is home to one of the most inviting Saluhallen locations in Sweden. For those not booked at one of their Christmas buffet dinners, the doors at Höganäs Saluhallen do open for daily Christmas lunch service. Enjoy a rustic home baked Christmas spread sprinkled with multiple sorts of sill, cold cuts, and a dessert table that promises to please kids and adults alike. Are you planning to linger in Höganäs through the New Year? Close 2013 with a festive celebration and begin the new year in relaxed luxury at the Grand Hôtel Mölle. Built in 1909, the hotel sits on the site of Sweden’s

first community where men and women swam together in the sea. This historic site draws visitors from across Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Far south on the west coast is Sweden’s third largest city, Malmö. Establishing their own holiday traditions, Malmö streets will be brimming with twinkle lights, music, carousels, ice skating, and horse-drawn carriages. Christmas markets fill the streets every weekend and the Malmö Opera is celebrating its 10-year anniversary for the New Year’s Gala event. Ring in the New Year with fireworks on the outdoor piazza followed by dancing under the crystal chandeliers inside the Opera. Whether you thrive in the shopping rush or long for the stillness of a traditional church concert, there are opportunities to fill your calendar with fun and festivities up and down the entire west coast of Sweden. ♣ PHOTO: PER ANDERS JÖRGENSEN

PHOTO: ROLAND DAHLSTRÖM

PHOTO: TORBJÖRN LAGERWALL

Malmö Market.

Malmö Opera.

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THE SEASON

The Swedish Gingerbread House APPETIZING SWEDISH CHRISTMAS CONSTRUCTION What does the Christmas season and Swedish architecture share in common? Hint: it involves innovative design, sustainable building materials and excellent taste. Yes, you guessed it, the glorious gingerbread house – known in Swedish as pepparkakshus. T E X T: E L I Z A B E T H D A C E Y- F O N D E L I U S

dmittedly, gingerbread

are not unique to Sweden. They are the very same miniature edible edifices of Hansel and Gretel fame, that were adopted by Swedes in the 1800s. But in today’s Sweden, families can spend uncountable hours designing, constructing and decorating amazing structures. houses

The finished product is a central focal piece throughout the holiday season. And in Sweden, the Christmas season is a monthlong extravaganza of Yuletide spirit, kicking off with the Lucia festival of light, and ending with the final plunder on the feast of St. Knut on January 13th. That is the day the anxious children are allowed to eat up their creations. Well, that is, if they haven’t already slowly and secretively plundered the dust-collecting Christmas feature. Ambitious Swedish gingerbread-housearchitects sometimes take it to a loftier level and compete for top honors. And who better to judge than the curators at the Architecture & Design Center in Stockholm. Since 1990, the center (formally known as the Architecture Museum) has hosted the Gingerbread House Gallery. The annual

competition has become a beloved tradition. Throughout the years there have been cityscapes, famous worldly structures, dangerous liaisons and Swedish gazebos –lusthus – literally and more colorfully translated as, lust houses. Are there limits for what can be built out of gingerbread dough? The Architecture & Design Center welcomes Gingerbread house entries to compete in three categories; architecture & confection, under 12 and standard entry. Not surprisingly, they receive hundreds of entries each year. What would a competition be without a set of guidelines for your entry? In short, the structure must have a footprint of no more than 50x50cm. The eatable qualities are also under scrutiny by the judges. It seems the way to a gingerbread judge is through his or her stomach. There is also a popular vote submitted by visitors to the exhibit. However, they are not allowed to taste, so the People’s Choice award is all about what it looks like. So you ask, “What about those of us who aren’t architectural experts or enthusiastic

bakers?” The answer is simple: Swedish home construction is often pre-fab kit houses, so why not for a gingerbread house. Those of us who might have lower ambitions for lofty gingerbread can pop off to the shops and pick up ready-made gingerbread cookie dough. But once you get it home, it is the same starting point you are at after mixing the ingredients. For the enthusiasts who are all thumbs, especially if they are in the center of your palm (tummen mitt I handen), you can always pop down to the store and pick up “Annas Pepparkakshus”, the IKEA flat pack solution for gingerbread homes. In these packages, there is no Allen key. The house needs to be assembled using traditional binding agents such as melted sugar or other creamy goo in tubes and adorned with colorful penny-candy. It’s too late this year to submit your entry to the Architecture & Design Center, but the best sets of judges are your own family and friends. Start from scratch or buy a pre-fab, but join in on a Swedish Christmas tradition you get to eat! ♣

GOURMET

Leif Mannerström

Krister Dahl

The golden cuisine Sweden has raised the bar significantly when it comes to culinary experiences. Swedish Bulletin has pinpointed some of the most essential reasons as to why Sweden has become one the best food destinations in the world.

T E X T: C H R I S T I A N V O N E S S E N

he swedish cuisine

continues to harvest success in the world. As with many countries, Sweden has these past few years seen an enormous increase in cooking. The food shows are competing with each other on prime time TV, several new food magazines are establishing and it is a well-established fact that we release approximately one cook book a day (well, 305 in 2013 actually). As well as all of this, our restaurants are becoming increasingly international in their reputation and awards. The trend is, to a great extent, focused on local food and traditions. Foreign

visitors bought Swedish restaurant food for SEK 19 billion in 2012, and they buy food in grocery stores for almost as much. The increase is almost 200 per cent since the year 2000. But what put Sweden on the international food map? Here are five suggestions. 1. COMPETITIVENESS The hundred-plus year old Culinary Olympics take place every four years in Germany. In 2012, the Swedish Culinary Team, consisting of active chefs from restaurants all over the country won everything – five gold medals in the different categories as well as the overall total score. It is an accomplishment unheard of before.

Thirtysix countries compete with each other in the National team categories Hot Kitchen and Cold Platters Show. Krister Dahl is Executive Chef at the new restaurant West Coast in Hotel Gothia Towers in Gothenburg. He has been a member of the team since 1994, and was team leader during the ultimate victory. “We ended up in third place at the 2008 Olympics, he says, and we were not very satisfied. Most of the team members stayed on the team, and we have been working really hard for this. I have been trying to improve the team skills and have opened up for a better dialogue where criticism is aired in a civilized and constructive manner. The food interest is huge, there is

PHOTO: PER-ERIK BERGLUND

The Swedish winner in the Hot Plate category at the 2012 Culinary Olympics.

“The food interest is huge, there is a real hype here. And we have a good sense of quality when it comes to food ingredients.” a real hype here. And we have a good sense of quality when it comes to food ingredients. The Swedish team has been very successful these past 10 to 15 years.” 2. CONCEPTUALITY Swedish restaurants have leaned heavily on traditions. The most well-established venues in Stockholm are still very popular with younger crowds, which say something of the high quality in food and service. But the new establishments are increasingly well thought through, with design and branding as integral ingredients. With more awareness and knowledge, even the ferries, airlines and trains in Sweden are raising their food standards tremendously, entering into close collaborations with top chefs to add value to their brand. 3. “THE ART OF HOME COOKING” The traditional Swedish home cooking food husmanskost has seen a monumental uprising in the past ten years. It used to be a guilty pleasure blended with weird childhood memories from below-par school kitchen practices. But after years of low self-esteem, Swedish food now stands strong, with respected chefs and trendy

restaurants paving the way with innovative fusions of traditional dishes. Leif Mannerström is one the most famous Swedish chefs focusing mainly on husmanskost. “It’s quite interesting how in Southern Europe, the best food has always been something that your grandmother used to cook, but here we haven’t had that culture”, Mannerström says. His book Husmanskonst from 2006 (The Art of Home Cooking in English) is a source of inspiration for many new chefs exploring the traditions and preservation techniques that are increasingly resurfacing. There is a new confidence in Swedish cuisine. 4. ORGANIC, SLOW FOOD Swedes are adapting sustainability in every aspect of life. We are the most recycling conscious people on the planet, and organic food is no longer just an expensive niche. Consciousness is key, and the demand for organic produce is rapidly challenging retailers and restaurants to become more aware of their purchasing routines. There is today a wide range of books on organic cooking, raw food, healthy eating and urban farming, and with an ongoing world-wide green trend, many are looking to Sweden.

We are in the forefront when it comes to animal care, cleantech, water quality and environmental concern. The chefs prefer working with local produce and natural, sustainable materials; a trend that quickly has become kitchen standard. 5. GOVERNMENT FUNDING Matlandet (the food country) is a broad government initiative to promote Sweden’s food culture abroad.VisitSweden is the semi-governmental authority marketing Sweden as a destination abroad, and is one of the official partners in Matlandet. They have actively been targeting travel groups interested in food, design, media and culture, and there were written international articles on Swedish food worth SEK 587 million in 2012. In London,VisitSweden is working with their “Try Swedish” concept. The aim is to inspire British journalists and food bloggers by inviting them here on press trips. The latest trip went to Swedish counties Småland and Öland, where the participants were challenged with cooking truly traditional Swedish food like isterband and kroppkakor. Dishes we perhaps previously have not shown the right amount of pride and appreciation. ♣

GOURMET

If you're looking for a proper Swedish smorgasbord, Verandan is a good place to start.

Mathias Dahlgren

GRAND HÔTEL

An institution in constant transition

When Obama checked into Grand Hôtel during his official visit to Sweden, no one was surprised. Grand, built in 1874, is considered to be one of the best hotels in the country. But it doesn’t just lean on a reputation from the past. T E X T: C H R I S T I A N V O N E S S E N

in Stockholm is getting increasingly competitive. During the past ten years, new hotels such as Scandic Grand Central, Scandic Victoria Tower, several Quality Hotels, Clarion Sign, Lydmar, Story, Radisson Blu Waterfront and Nobis Hotel have seemingly erupted from the earth below us. During this same period, Grand Hôtel has efficiently been maintaining its position as the top choice when it comes to luxury five star accommodation in Stockholm. That being said, a hotel today is so much more than a comfortable bed. Here are some of the transitions Grand has undergone just over the past year. he hotel market

NEW ROOMS AND SUITES

In 2010 and 2011, Grand rebuilt no less than 37 rooms and six suites on the first two floors of the hotel, costing approximately SEK 70 million. After further extensive renovations Grand could proudly open 19 rooms and suites on the third floor of the hotel in 2013. This time too, the reoccurring theme has been to stay true to the aesthetics of 1874 – a quite daunting task for interior designer Sanna Nathanson at Wall to Wall, who together with architectural firm Tengboms Arkitekter worked on the project. The rooms have had different looks but still resemble each other in a socalled eclectic style that was very common around 1874.

The Bernadotte suite is perhaps the most well-known of Grand’s suites. With its 165 square metres and four rooms, it was built in deep collaboration with Sigvard Bernadotte and the classic brand Svenskt Tenn in 1965. The empire style was added in 1990 and Sanna Nathanson has now modernized it further, without losing touch with the details. SMORGASBORD ON THE VERANDA

The entire food and travel industry press gathered when Grand reopened the thoroughly and expensively renovated Veranda at the end of August 2013. The Veranda looks quite small at first glance. But it does, in fact swallow 110 seated guests at once, in an en-

PHOTO: MAGNUS MÅRDING

PHOTO: MAGNUS MÅRDING PHOTO:MAGNUS SKOGLÖF

PHOTO: ÅKE E:SON LINDMAN

The renovated rooms and suites are resembling the interior design from 1874.

PHOTO:PER RANUNGN

PHOTO: ÅKE E:SON LINDMAN

Mathias Dahlgren has rasied the food level in Stockholm and Sweden. He runs two restaurants at Grand Hôtel; Matsalen has two Guide Michelin stars and Matbaren has one.

vironment quite different to that of Mathias Dahlgren on the other side of the building. The Swedish “smorgasbord” is revitalized, perfectly according to the trends in authenticity and the traditional Swedish cuisine. The guests are enjoying more than 50 different dishes like smoked salmon, lamb, herring, meatballs and other favorites. The Veranda has always been known for serving high quality Swedish classics, and the smorgasbord has been a natural part of Grand Hôtel since the 1980’s. The smorgasbord may seem like a messy and chaotic affair to beginners, but there are rules and structure here as well. The feast is traditionally devoured in five runs, and here are examples of what you may expect to find on a smorgasbord. 1. Herring. Different kinds of herring,

boiled potatoes, bread, butter and hard cheese. 2. Salmon and shrimp. Salmon, eel, shrimp and smoked Baltic herring. 3. Cold cuts. Pate, veal brawn, bird meat and roast beef. 4. Hot plate. Salmon pudding, pork, beef brisket, sausages, red cabbage, meatball, ribs. 5. Desserts. Cheeses and fruit salad.

SUMMER CAFÉ FOR LIGHT LUNCHES

“Matsalen has two stars in the Guide Michelin, and is considered one of the best culinary experiences in the country.” The Veranda is no exception, and Swedish Bulletin can vow for the high quality of the food. TERRASSEN – A SMALL PIECE OF THE RIVIERA

“The Terrace” brings the French Riviera to Stockholm during the summer season. As a guest you get to enjoy the constant stream of boats and people at the quay, with a stunning view of the royal castle. The inspiration comes from Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes. The menu is also inspired from southern Europe, offering carpaccio, chèvre chaud and gazpacho, amongst other things.

For lighter lunches in the summer season, Grand has also opened their brand new Grand Café Strömkajen. Taking the edge off the luxurious interior, tourists, friends, commuters and business associates are now conveniently offered sandwiches, salads and pastries at a decent price range. …AND STILL SETTING THE STANDARDS FOR SWEDISH COOKING: MATHIAS DAHLGREN

Last but not least, Mathias Dahlgren, one of Sweden’s most awarded and renowned chefs during the past decade has given his name to not one but two restaurants at Grand Hôtel. Matsalen has two stars in the Michelin Guide, and is considered one of the best culinary experiences in the country. The bistro next door is called Matbaren, and has one star. Here, the atmosphere is a bit more lively and rustic, and you can actually drop in and get a seat at the bar if you’re lucky. Together with business lunch restaurant Cadierbaren and an impeccable spa area, Grand Hôtel continues to bring traditions into the future with ease and grace. ♣

SWEDISH DIARY

Twenty years on: Closer to home than ever i must be having fun because when I look back on my time in Sweden, it has indeed flown. I have passed a landmark anniversary date for my arrival to as an immigrant. I have lived in Sweden for a score of years. Now that is a funny English word if you don’t know what score means.

Score is an old English term for a numeric value. How many notches in a score you might ask? The word score has its roots in Old Norse, from skor, meaning; notch. Score means 20. It is as if you bundled 20 notches and said, “Right, that’s the score.” But what is the score? Another English colloquialism asks for a summary or a review of highlights from my two decades in Sweden. I won’t bore you with a list of life events. Not that they are boring, but nothing is more tedious than a chronological review of milestones. That is something I have learned the hard way – faking my interest and amusement to scores of wedding and birthday toasts. We now have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and uncountable versions of social media to publish a life’s timeline. Social media on the heels of digital communication and the cyber speed of Internet are the most significant developments that have affected my immigrant life in Sweden. Sitting in my kitchen in Stockholm I am in real time sync with friends and family across 15 time zones on my laptop using an array of disruptive innovation. If there is family news to be spread, the quickest, most reliable way to pass it on is via a keyboard and an Internet connection, something every smartphone can do. Gone are the days when the mailman had to ring twice to deliver tidings, even though my SMS text notification still pushes the notification twice. The speed of communication was never so obvious to me as during the events of the Boston Marathon bombing. I am from Boston. In the aftermath of the two bombs I was glued to my monitor. I had all local media broadcasts running simultaneously on several open tabs on my browser. News teams on the streets of Boston’s Back Bay gave running accounts in familiar Boston vernacular relevant to what a Bostonian would want to know. Reports from CNN felt as foreign as those of Swedish TV in comparison. As the story unfolded I experienced the same pain, anguish and sorrow alongside friends only miles and sometimes meters from the explosions. But reality was to come even closer. To clarify, I am from Watertown, Massachusetts; the scene of the Boston Bombing

lockdown four days later. Watertown is about 10km from the marathon’s finish line, but it is very local suburb where not much happens. Most of Watertown either woke up to gunfire, the call from the police instructing residents to stay indoors or to the news that one of the Tsarnaev brothers was on the loose somewhere in the town. Alerted to the news here in Sweden during breakfast, I was wide-awake and instantly captivated. I remained immobilized and obsessed until well after midnight. In fact, I fell asleep listening in on the local police scanner streaming through the Internet. It was only minutes away to discovering Tsarnaev in that infamous boat, but I was emotionally exhausted and I couldn’t hang on. I might have stayed awake had I been physically closer since, yes, sitting in Stockholm I felt removed. But despite being 3,500 miles away, through social media and the Internet I was closer to the events than my own parents in their house that is less than 1000m from that boat and Tsarnaev. I read real-time postings and saw instant photos of police and tanks on the streets I walked as a child. All the while my parents, not on social media, could only keep up via the local news crews kept at safe distances from the house-to-house searches. It still takes me 12+ hours to fly to Boston since Stockholm lacks a direct flight. The six-hour time difference is an unsuspecting barrier, but 20 years later - thanks to the wonders of Internet, social media and Swedish innovations like Skype – I am probably the closest I have ever been to ‘home’. Bring on the next twenty years. I am ready. By Elizabeth Dacey-Fondelius

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DALADRÄKT We believe that traditions are important and essential to Sweden, to all Swedes in the world and all people.

aladräkt is a Stockholmbased clothing company that provides you boutique-quality traditional Swedish costumes for all of your occasions, wherever you may live. Our garments are inspired by the traditions and culture of the land of Dalecarlia, one of Sweden’s most legendary provinces. Indeed, Dalecarlia has a very rich history and heritage of folk costumes. Folk apparels have been worn for hundreds of years, for both daily activities and special annual occasions, such as birthdays, baptisms, confirmations, exams, Christmas and Midsummer. Folk costumes have been typically passed down from generation to generation, preserving them within family history. Nowadays a folk dress is a costly investment. Daladräkt, thanks to its internetbased distribution channel, aims to change 72

this constraint. We have selected the most beautiful traditional Dala-costumes and provide you with garments that you can choose amongst and customize to your own individuality. Our costumes are created by Catarina af Sandeberg and the Daladräkt-team, after revisiting the historical documents and rich culture of the region, upholding the folk traditions and with a contemporary twist. We at Daladräkt hope to satisfy you with the best quality garments, woven and sewn by our highly skilled weavers and seamstresses, provided to you after our strict quality control.

www.daladrakt.se

FOR A GOOD CAUSE At Daladräkt we feel it is important to give something back. We achieve this by supporting, and collaborating, with organizations that are working for a good cause. For every product we sell we donate 1 US Dollar to Childhood. Livslust in Latvia makes many of our beautiful garments. We work actively towards sustainability when we choose our materials and suppliers. Small familyowned companies situated in Dalecarlia make many of the details on our costumes by hand. They have made weaves and brooches in the same way for generations. Our garments are qualitymade, meant to last for a long time. We believe in working against overconsumption and towards slow fashion.

ROYA L WA R R A N T HOL DE R S I N S W E DE N Sweden’s been a monarchy for over 1 000 years. For just as long, artisans, merchants and other businessmen have delivered goods to, or worked for, the king and the royal family. The first purveyors to the court were artisans and merchants running their businesses nearby Stockholm castle or some of the other royal residences around the country. As the royal family began ordering goods from other towns or even other countries, the royal purveyor title spread.

One of the first royal purveyors was Hans Georg Düben. Under the rule of Karl XI and Karl XII, he ran a bakery on Gråmunkegränd in Stockholm’s Gamla stan area. The arguably most famous royal carpenter and cabinet maker was Georg Haupt. Yet another famous artisan from the 18th century was royal watchmaker Johan Fredman. His work is all but forgotten today but his “shady” lifestyle is known by many thanks to the Fredman’s epistles and Fredman’s songs by Carl Michael Bellman.

Then, just like today, royal purveyors worked in the most disparate of fields. In the early 20th century they could be shoe makers, art casters, florists and shipowners. They could be running breweries, trading houses, perfumeries and jewelry shops. The common denominator was that they delivered goods to some member of the royal family but not necessarily the king himself. In this special edition you’ll get acquainted with a few carefully hand-picked royal purveyors.

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SVENSKT TENN – SINCE 1924 Svenskt Tenn was founded in 1924 in Stockholm by Estrid Ericson. A 30 years old drawing teacher from Hjo in the south-west of Sweden received an inheritance from her father. This provided the capital for a new business centered on the production and sale of pewter handicrafts, which she made together with pewter artist Nils Fougstedt. Pewter was one of the most exciting materials at the time and “Swedish Pewter, or “Svenskt Tenn”, which was an established mark of quality, was a name that epitomized the times. In 1927, Estrid Ericson moved her business into the current premises on Strandvägen 5. Svenskt Tenn’s real breakthrough came with the Austrian architect and designer Josef Frank. A long and successful collaboration began between Josef Frank and Estrid Ericson who together created a style influenced by both

Viennese elegance and Swedish functionalism. With its colorfulness and patterns and inspiration from all kinds of cultures and eras, the style was in sharp contrast to the ideal flourishing in the 1930s. Together, the two lay the foundations for the interior design philosophy that Svenskt Tenn has since come to represent. Svenskt Tenn has through copyright an exclusive right to design created by Estrid Ericson and Josef Frank together with all exclusive designs unique for Svenskt Tenn. Further Svenskt Tenn, Estrid Ericson and Josef Frank are registered trademarks owned by Svenskt Tenn. Today Svenskt Tenn is owned by the Kjell and Märta Beijer Foundation. Profits generated by the company are through the foundation used to promote scientific and medical research in Sweden as well as Swedish home decoration traditions.

SVENSKT TENN Svenskt Tenn is an interior design company located on Strandvägen in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in 1924 by Estrid Ericson, who recruited Josef Frank to the company 10 years later. Together they created the elegant and boldly patterned personal interior design style that continues to pervade the collection to this day. www.svenskttenn.se

LINDVALLS COFFEE A five generation family business In 1891 Eric Lindvall and his wife Josefina opened a colonial trade in spices, tea and coffee in the small town Tierp. Initially the firm was involved exclusively in the sale of groceries, but later roasting of coffee became the main business. The business was successful, and the couple decided to move the family and the company to Uppsala in 1914. Lindvalls was one of the first coffee roasters in Sweden that industrially roasted coffee. It was done with machines purchased from Germany and the coffee was imported generally from Brazil and Colombia. Lindvalls Coffee has been a purveyor to the Swedish court since the days of King Gustav V. Ulf Lindvall, CEO and heir of Lindvalls, is proud to deliver coffee to the royal family. “ We do not have a large export, but the fact that we are by royal appointment is particularly

appreciated by our foreign customers. It is a certification. We are honored and proud to be a supplier to the royal court. It is a mark of quality.” Lindvalls Coffee recently launched a campaign called “The Hunt For The Perfect Coffee”, where six local celebrities in food and drinks from Uppsala have been involved in producing a luxury version of Lindvalls coffee called Premium. “It was a way to connect with our origins. We started a year ago and have tried it through several different flavors. When we agreed on that, we went on to test different version of roast and darkness. The result was a complete and full-bodied coffee with many flavors.” says Ulf Lindvall.

LINDVALLS KAFFE AKTIEBOLAG Visitors address: Kungsgatan 60 Uppsala, Sweden Phone: +46(0)18-480 20 00 www.lindvallskaffe.se

HULTBERG EFTR. RAM OCH FÖRGYLLNING Framing and Gilding Hultberg Eftr. Ram och Förgyllning is a company with extensive experience in framing and gilding. In 1889, in a shop in the heart of Stockholm, Clas Hultberg began his career selling carved, gilded frames and other objects out of wood. Demand for Hultberg's picture frames and mirrors grew quickly and they were exported and sold all over the country. Hultberg's frame and gild workshop has manufactured many handmade frames over the years, for artwork of famous artists such as Marc Chagall, Georges Braque, Henri Matisse and Salvador Dali.

“Today Hultbergs is a well-established company whose mission is to professionally and with high quality perform framing work,” says owner Nils Nordlander. Common work assignments for the company are framing of diplomas, posters and advanced gildings. “We are proud that we for many years have had the confidence to regularly work with the National Public Art Council, The Swedish Armed Forces, Art Galleries, museums and artists,” says Nils Nordlander.

HULTBERG EFTR. RAM OCH FÖRGYLLNING Hagagatan 16 113 48 Stockholm Phone: +46(0)8 32 50 07 Mail: hultbergsram@telia.com www.hultbergsram.se

DURO Swedish high quality Wallpaper Duro was founded in 1930 with the aim of manufacturing durable, high-quality wallpaper, which is why the company was named Duro, meaning strong and durable. “Duro's ambition has always been to make highquality products. We also intend to work with harmless, non-toxic materials. Today, the products contain no harmful substances or toxins,” says CEO Björn Andersson. The third foundation of Duro is to make a product of Scandinavian design, which is why they have worked with famous Swedish designers over the years, such as Sigward Bernadotte, Inez Svensson and Betty Svensson. Recently Duro also established a design studio of their own. “Our wallpapers are sold in Sweden and

Scandinavia, but also in England, Germany, Russia and China. We will continue to work with typical Swedish and Scandinavian shapes and colours in our designs. We believe we have great opportunities and we understand that there is an interest in Scandinavian colour and shape. And from there, we see a positive future ahead of us.” Duro has been purveyors to the Swedish court for three royal generations and have supplied the Royal family with wallpaper since 1946. “Royal Warrant is a mark of quality. Being purveyor to the court has been a quality mark and an asset in contact with customers, especially those outside of Sweden. It has also been an asset to the creation of our own brand, that is, Duro.” says Björn Andersson.

DURO SWEDEN AB E-mail: headoffice@durosweden.se www.durosweden.se

In the 1960s, Duro established a unique environmentally safe way of working. Since then, all of our inks and coatings are water based and entirely free from solvents and PVC. Eco-friend- liness is an important criterion when we select new materials, and this provides us with a good working environment inside and outside the factory. Surplus ink is taken care of in an eco-friendly manner and waste paper is used to generate heat.

“For me, entrepreneurship is to create things that are both useful and enjoyable for others in the long term.” Bert-Inge Hogsved, CEO and founder of the Hogia gro

HOGIA

– an IT group with entrepreneurial soul Hogia develops, sells and supports IT systems that help companies manage their administration more well-planned and efficient. Hogia today offers everything from accounting software for small businesses to complete IT solutions, for example for accounting firms, real estate companies, retail chains, health-care companies, fleet operators and public transport. Hogia was founded 1980, in the basement and home of Bert-Inge Hogsved in Stenungsund. Today Hogia has grown from a sole proprietor to a company with 550 employees in 27 companies in the Nordic region and the UK. Hogia is still family owned and Bert-Inge is still president and principal owner of Hogia. Each company within the Hogia Group operates within a well-defined activity. 78

The Hogia organization is based on smallscale and entrepreneurial spirit, which strongly contributes to a corporate culture characterized by a sense of responsibility and commitment among employees. Being the Royal Warrant is a source of pride throughout the group. “We are very proud to be Royal Warrant today and that we have been so ever since 1987. In my opinion, with the honour of being chosen as Royal Warrant, there also comes an informal mark of quality. This obliges to continue keeping a high quality and long-term thinking in the business,” says Bert-Inge Hogsved. An event that has been especially memorable in the years as Royal Warrant was the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria's in 2010. “It was with great pleasure and pride that we helped out with our transporta-

tion planning systems, so that the logistics worked in conjunction with the wedding,” says Bert-Inge Hogsved. The system of Hogia made sure that transport planning worked so that the hundreds of guests were escorted on time to and from the airport, hotels and the different events. Hogia has grown steadily since the start in 1980 and has demonstrated positive results the last 22 years. With economic stability, continued growth and major initiatives, including new cloud services, it is predicted that Hogia will have a bright future ahead.

www.hogia.se

STEENS HERRMODE

First Class Rental Formal Wear In 1932 my father, Helge Steen, started specializing in the sale and rental of formal wear and, as it was called then â&#x20AC;&#x201C; first class tailored suits. In 1953, the company began to sew uniforms for the military, police and also company uniforms. We were then instructed to sew uniforms for palace administration and Royal Mews. After a number of years, we were therefore appointed to Royal Purveyors by His Majesty the King Gustaf VI Adolf. This purveyor munity moved in 1973 to Carl XVI Gustaf. â&#x20AC;&#x192; We've also sewn several uniforms to Prince Carl Philip and the delivery to the Royal Mews continues today.

STEENS HERRMODE Odengatan 106, Stockholm Phone: +46 (0)8-34 93 00 Mail: info@steensherrmode.se www.steensherrmode.se

RENTAL SERVICE White tie and tails Morningcoat Dinnerjacket

PARADISVERKSTADEN

Top quality and handmade ceramics Paradisverkstaden was founded in 1975 by Eva and Olof Paradis. The studios are located on Öland where the company design and manufacture ceramics. Everything is handmade and in high quality. The location at Kalmarsund has developed into a popular destination for arts and crafts, design and with a garden that includes a café in the summer. In addition to running our own shop and exhibition, we have cooperation with retailers, businesses and governments for many years.With gifts of value as a guiding principle, we commit to tailor concepts for special occasions.To manufacture in both editions and volume makes us special. In 1986 Paradisverkstaden was honored to receive the award Royal Warrant as an appreciation gesture of King Carl Gustav. This is in light of that for a long time to have satisfied some of 80

the Royal Family needs of gifts, when they spent their summers on the island of Öland. Solliden always had a special place in the hearts of the King and Queen, so when the gift shop on Solliden opened the commitment was big. We were asked to design a special collection for the purpose, so even at the gift shops in The Royal Stockholm Palace and the Drottningholm Palace. The Gustavian-inspired “Castle Pot” with cobalt blue brush decorated in white chippings, became in time a concept that even after thirty years is a treasured classic. To be a Royal Warrant is a reputable seal, which Paradisverkstaden had great pleasure from. There is also a support and encouragement in the quest to keep an old tradition alive with a high level of aesthetics, functionality and quality – in other words timelessly beautiful, usable and durable!

PARADISVERKSTADEN DESIGN AB Paradisvägen, Färjestaden Öland Phone: +46(0)486 316 24 Mail: info@paradisverkstaden.se www.paradisverkstaden.se

SVARTA TRÄDGÅRDSMATTAN • PILE RUG 2.20 x 3.30 M MÄRTA MÅÅS-FJETTERSTRÖM 1923

MÄRTA MÅÅS-FJETTERSTRÖM AB Handmade in Båstad since 1919 For nearly a century a vast number of rugs and tapestries have been hand woven by the MMF studio, set up in Båstad by Märta Måås-Fjetterström in 1919. These works are found in royal palaces as well as in private homes, museums and leading institutions throughout the world. Rugs and tapestries are produced entirely by hand in MMF’s studio in Båstad, located along the coast of southern Sweden. Märta Måås-Fjetterström’s designs and instructions have been handed down from generation to generation of Artisan Weavers, and are transformed into works of the highest imaginable artistic and craft quality. When Märta Måås-Fjetterström died in 1941, she left to posterity some 700 designs – which

now form an invaluable heritage for the studio. The archives also include hundreds of designs by other artists, ranging from important mid20th century textile designers e.g. Barbro Nilsson, Marianne Richter and Ann-Mari Forsberg, to present-day architects Claesson Koivisto Rune. Collaborations with contemporary artists take place every year since 2002 – through innovative projects such as MMF Textile of the Year and MMF Textile Design Project of the Year. The MMF Showroom at Sibyllegatan 19, Stockholm offers an opportunity to see and discuss carpets and textiles. At the studio in Båstad there is a selection of rugs – both newly made and vintage – for immediate purchase. All of the designs can be made to order, and there is a rich variety of sizes, colours and techniques to choose from.

MMF SHOWROOM Sibyllegatan 19, Stockholm Open by appointment only +46(0)70 671 78 36 www.mmf.se

Linen and hand-dyed wool form the base of the high quality rugs and tapestries produced at the MMF studio. Designs range from 20th century classics to contemporary textile art. New and vintage pieces can be seen at the studio in Båstad, the showroom in Stockholm, as well as online.

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MILITÄREKIPERINGSAKTIEBOLAGET A company with a long history

Many are those who remember the store at Norrmalmstorg, founded in 1883 by officers as an opportunity to get their uniform needs set. What started as a uniform tailoring soon grew into a large department store which lasted until 1985, when competition became too stiff and forced it to close. Five years later, the company was revived with a new owner, as the need to manufacture uniforms for the Swedish officers still existed. In 2001 the current CEO Eva Stenström took over the ownership. The company, located at Upplandsgatan 23, in the heart of Vasastan, has today manufacturing of uniforms for The Swedish Armed Forces as their main occupation, but also theaters, ferries and artists are repeat customers. Few companies today have the knowledge and opportunity as MEA to manufacture the 82

customized ceremonial garments with advanced gold and silver embroidery that today are worn at the Royal Palace and the Foreign Office (see Figure 1 and 2). Stockholms Militärekipering is now the main supplier of Guard uniforms for Life Guards officers (see Figure 3), and since 1993 Royal Warrant. The appointment was received by the company because they have for a long time delivered a significant number of the royal court costumes of the older model. The Royal Wedding 2010, when Crown Princess Victoria married Prince Daniel was a major commitment to Militärekiperingen. Among other things, MEA renewed some ceremonial garments such as Runner's and Hunter's uniforms and the parade uniforms of the model 1878, which was worn by naval officers of the Royal sloop Vasa Order, (see Figure 4) that brought the couple from Djurgarden to the Royal Palace in the Old Town.

MEA: MILITÄREKIPERINGSAKTIEBOLAGET Stockholms Militärekipering is a classic tailoring with uniforms and ceremonial garment specialty. MEA is located in the heart of Vasastan not far from Stockholm Central Station on Upplandsgatan 23. The company was founded in 1990. Militärekiperingen, owned and operated today by CEO Eva Stenström, with three full-time tailors is a Royal Warrant since 1993.

www.nyamea.com

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