The article examines the cultivation ideals that have emerged in public debates surrounding Moderna Museet - the Swedish Museum of Modern Art - between 1972 and 2006, with a focus on how these ideals have been shaped by evolving societal and cultural policy expectations. The concept of cultivation ideals [kultiveringsideal] refers to the perceived roles that the museum should play in cultivating specific qualities in its visitors, as well as the means through which this cultivation should be achieved. Throughout the debates, six distinct cultivation ideals emerged. Rather than being fixed or universally agreed upon, the cultivation ideals emerging from the public debate on Moderna Museet have been continuously reshaped throughout the museum’s history. However, although the ideals have shifted, they all emphasise the modern art museum’s role as a cultivating institution.

Regeringen vill att privata aktörer ska bidra mer till att finansiera kulturen i Sverige. Men filantropiskt stöd kan slå tillbaka mot museerna, skriver Tintin Hodén, forskare i idéhistoria. Ett tydligt exempel är hur opioidkrisen i USA har fläckat flera stora museers rykte genom familjen Sacklers donationer.

This article examines the representation of women artists in the online modern art auctions of Bukowskis, one of the leading auction houses in the Nordic region. The study finds that women artists are significantly underrepresented compared to their male counterparts, both in terms of the number of listed works and in dedicated thematic auctions. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of cultural production, the article analyzes how Bukowskis’ marketing strategies contribute to the transformation of works by women artists into symbolic goods within the art market. In particular, the marketing highlights the artists’ education, connections to established male figures, international influences, and institutional recognition. Through these strategies, Bukowskis portrays women artists as historically significant figures. The promotion of artistic recognition is thus positioned as a key component of the auction house’s broader commercial strategy, thereby contributing to the canonization of artists.

”Hilma af Klints värld börjar här”. Så lyder budskapet på banderollen som pryder den gamla Prästgården på Adelsö. Här vill föreningen Hilma af Klints Ateljé skapa en mötesplats för inspiration, kunskap och konstnärligt utforskande i af Klints anda. Under sommaren 2025 visas utställningen ”En plats för Hilma af Klint” i samarbete med föreningen Templet. Tintin Hodén har besökt.

The article examines the Swedish press reporting on af Klint from 1890 to 2013. The analysis shows that her identity as a woman artist influenced the reception of her art in different ways throughout history. During the late nineteenth century, af Klint exhibited figurative art and was described as a relatively skilled artist in the press. She did not receive as much prominence as some male colleagues, which may have been due to the discrimination of women artists. In the late 1900s, af Klint’s occult abstract paintings were exhibited, initiating a press debate on her standing as an abstract pioneer in modernist art history. However, the commentators did not consider af Klint a modernist painter and agreed she could not be equated with modernist male pioneers. When af Klint’s abstract paintings were shown in an exhibition at Moderna Museet in 2013, the press responded differently. On this occasion, af Klint's gender had a favorable influence on the press reporting. Furthermore, there was widespread consensus that af Klint needed to be recognized as an abstract pioneer. As a result, af Klint was portrayed as a groundbreaking genius within modernism, illustrating the dynamic process of canonization in art history.

Under de senaste åren har protestaktioner på konstmuseer blivit en allt vanligare företeelse. Att använda konstmuseet som en arena för politiskt motstånd är dock inget nytt, även om både mål och medel har varierat över tid. Tintin Hodén redogör för konstverksattackernas långa historia och undersöker den stundtals konfliktfyllda relationen mellan museum och allmänhet.