Thank You for Everything

On June 1, 2025, the Postkodsstiftelsen project Smålandstriennalen – Små Land comes to a close. It is with pride that we place a final full stop on this phase – a multi-year endeavour carried by the vision of a vibrant and equitable art scene in Småland and on Öland.

Smålandstriennalen was born out of a desire to make a difference – to change structures, challenge lack of access, and create new contexts for art and artists beyond the self-evident flows of the big cities. Through the deep trust and generous financial support from the Postcode Foundation, we have laid the groundwork for a contemporary art triennial that operates not in spite of, but thanks to, the conditions of rural life.

Throughout the course of the project, we have initiated artistic processes in dialogue with local communities, brought artistic perspectives into everyday spaces, forged relationships between institutions and independent actors, and – not least – demonstrated that art holds an essential place in the development of society.

None of this would have been possible without the incredible people who carried this project. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to those who contributed as producers, organisers, administrators, and enablers:

Johanna Billing, Nicolas Hansson, Carolina Jonsson, Annelie Berglund, Sara Hemmingsson, Johanna Linder, Pernilla Frid, Lovisa Young Smedjebäck, and Paola Zamora – your commitment, your competence, and your courage have shaped this project into something far greater than we could ever have imagined. You have been the heart, the nerve, and the artistic driving force behind the work of building a new infrastructure for contemporary art in Småland.

We also wish to take this opportunity to thank the dedicated board of Konstfrämjandet Småland and all members of our organisation – your long-term work, your support, and your wise contributions have been an invaluable resource throughout these years.

This is not an end, but a point of departure. The foundation laid through this project will live on in future editions of Smålandstriennalen and in the ongoing effort to make art possible – everywhere in Sweden. Because equal access to culture is not a vision, but a right.

Thank you to the Postcode Foundation for your trust. Thank you to all our partners, artists, participants, and audiences. Thank you to the Swedish Arts Council, Region Jönköping, Region Kronoberg, and Kalmar County. And thank you to Småland and Öland – for all the stories, places, contexts, creativity, persistence, and beauty. We continue.

Warmly,
Konstfrämjandet Småland
Kristian Anshelm & Olof Werngren, Project Managers, Smålandstriennalen