Swedish government appoints Sara Arrhenius as the new Vice Chancellor of the Royal Institute of Art

The Swedish government has appointed Sara Arrhenius as the new Vice Chancellor of the Royal Institute of Art, with effect from spring 2017. By appointing Arrhenius to this position, the government thereby approves the proposition put forward by the Royal Institute of Art’s unanimous board earlier this autumn.

Sara Arrhenius has been Director and curator at Bonniers Konsthall since the institution was first established in 2005. As Director, she has led the gallery through its initial construction and opening, to the position it currently holds in the art world, with a series of acclaimed exhibitions, programmes and projects on its roster. Arrhenius has curated a great number of exhibitions, including Laura Lima, The Naked Magician (2014), Ylva Ogland, She in Four Acts (2015), and most recently Insomnia (2016-17), with artists including Kate Cooper and Carsten Höller. She is also an editor and author and has produced and co-authored several of Bonniers Konsthall’s publications, such as Art of Memory (2014), Andreas Eriksson: Roundabouts (2014) and Sharon Lockhart: Milena Milena. A Work in Progress (2015). Sara Arrhenius is a member of the Maria Bonnier Dahlin Foundation board where she will continue her mission.

– The Royal Institute of Art occupies a unique place in the Swedish art world, and it will be exciting to continue developing this platform, making it a crucial part of the contemporary debate and extending it out into a wider international context. In this regard I intend to continue working closely with artists and the artistic process, which has been an essential aspect of my time at Bonniers Konsthall. I also bring with me my experience of building up art institutions, where a long-range perspective and methods for sparking processes of change have been vital, says Sara Arrhenius.

The final Bonniers Konsthall show Sara Arrhenius will curate is Susan Philipsz’ solo exhibition, opening on February 22, 2017. She will take her post at the Royal Institute of Art the following spring. The recruitment process for a new Bonniers Konsthall director is underway.

– We wish to congratulate Sara Arrhenius on this wonderful honour and acknowledgement of her work, and look forward to following her progress at the Royal Institute of Art. Saying farewell to our esteemed director, who has transformed Bonniers Konsthall into one of Sweden’s leading art institutions, is obviously a great loss for us. However, we at Bonniers Konsthall will continue where Sara Arrhenius has left off, moving forwards with the same ambitions and high standards, states Pontus Bonnier, chairman of Bonniers Konsthall.

Royal Institute of Art’s press release.

Please direct all Bonniers Konsthall press enquiries to Sara Källsner, sara.kallsner@bonnierskonsthall.se, +46 (0)8-736 42 66