In early 2000s, the art historian Marita Jonsson and her husband, architect Jon Jonsson, decided to take over a display garden with an inn, named Körsbärsgården, located in Sundre on the Swedish island of Gotland. The plan was to open a contemporary art museum in connection to the garden.
– The inspiration to develop Körsbärsgården comes from our backgrounds, through Jon’s parents’ interest in art, and from my grandmother and six uncles who all were very interested in music. In other words, art and culture has always been the obvious choice for me, says Marita Jonsson.
Körsbärsgården was founded by Signe Enström in the 1940’s, and since then it has been a meeting place to many visiting artists and sculptors. Since Marita and Jon took over, Körsbärsgården has expanded beyond that to also consist of an art and sculpture gallery, with connecting art pavilions, which are surrounded by a sculpture park in a lush garden.
Both Swedish and international contemporary art is exhibited at Körsbärsgården, some of which are there permanently. There are up to ten different exhibitions each year, all which contribute to showing the interplay between different art forms. All artists are handpicked by Marita and Jon. In the summers, there are also literature evenings, dance performances, theatre and music events.
Massproductions’ Home Story is a curated series that profiles homes and places with outstanding architecture, art, design, and culture. The stories include photos and narratives about the places and the people behind them, who have all chosen to include our furniture in their private home or work environment.
Photos by Andy Liffner.
Art by Eva Langer, Sadaharu Horio, Fredrik Wretman, and Eva-Marie Kothe.