Art for the Globe - Femmes

t is January 1995. After two decades as a leading gallerist in Uppsala, Johan Wallin opens the doors to his new stage in the capital – a gallery on Tomtebogatan where the most idiosyncratic voices of contemporary art are given room to unfold. The opening exhibition Femmes brings together five female artists at the very beginning of their groundbreaking careers, all with roots in the art academies of Stockholm and Umeå. The exhibition becomes not only a cultural event but a statement. It marks the starting point of something larger – an artistic approach defined by integrity, force, and vision.

The artists who took part in Femmes were Cecilia Sikström, Karin Mamma Andersson, Filippa Arrias, Margareta Renberg, and Anneli Furumark – five independent voices, each with a distinct position within contemporary art. Johan Wallin early recognized their potential and their ability to speak with both power and integrity in their expression. The exhibition became a fusion of five different temperaments, where each work stood firmly on its own yet together created a new narrative of what Swedish contemporary art could be – bold, personal, and uncompromisingly of its time.

Thirty years later, the works – and the story – return to the public through this autumn’s auction at Stockholms Auktionsverk, curated in collaboration with the foundation Art for the Globe. The auction is a tribute to these artistic practices and to Johan Wallin’s deep commitment to art, sustainability, and humanity. Its point of departure is a photograph taken just days before the 1995 opening, depicting the five artists gathered together with Jockum Nordström, who was also close to this circle. For this reason, Nordström is represented in the auction as well.

Among the works included are Visit på söndagsmiddag by Margareta Renberg, where everyday scenes shift toward the dreamlike and psychological. Jockum Nordström’s Biljardspelaren carries his characteristic play with symbols and identity, where body, gaze, and context interlace in quiet intensity. The highlight of the auction is without doubt Dramatiska Teatern by Karin Mamma Andersson – an early and central work where her unique ability to unite the intimate with the theatrical comes fully into its own. It is a painting that already pointed toward the international breakthrough soon to come.

Together, these works form not only a retrospective but also a reminder of the artistic force that defined Femmes. They are as relevant today as they were then – perhaps even more urgent.

Art for the Globe, founded by Johan Wallin in 2023, is a foundation that harnesses the power of art to raise awareness of the climate crisis. Through auctions, grants, and cultural prizes – with up to one million SEK distributed annually – artistic voices are mobilized for a sustainable future. The capital derives from Wallin’s own collection, where each work sold becomes a concrete action for the survival of the planet.

This is a rare opportunity to acquire pioneering Swedish contemporary art – and at the same time contribute to a more sustainable world.