With an interest in design and collecting that started some 20 years ago, Niclas Berg opened up his very own gallery earlier this year, a fresh space dedicated to all the things he himself loves. He readily admits that his own taste very much informs the pieces he selects for Berg Gallery, located on a quiet stretch of Birger Jarlsgatan.
The split-level space is furnished and decorated with ceramics, lighting and furniture pieces from the second half of the 20th century, as well as contemporary sculptures. Those who look closely will find a common thread among the pieces on display – there is an encounter between the abstract and extreme handiwork.
There are classics such as lamps by Hans-Agne Jakobsson, Helge Zimdal, Sven Aage Holm Sörensen and Preben Dal, carpets by Anna-Greta Sjöqvist and glass objects by Tapio Wirkkala.
But there is also intriguing new work by the likes of David Taylor. Stockholm-based Taylor, who has been showing work at pioneering retail concept The Future Perfect in New York, has a unique way of merging a functional item with an object where the conceptual idea is the main issue. Think of his pieces as sculptures with a clear function to them.
Also at the Berg Gallery are German Christoph Finkel’s “impossible” wood-turned objects, Nybro-based ceramicist Ellen Ehk Åkesson’s experimentally weird yet wonderful work, and potter Jussi Ojalas nature-inspired and raw stoneware from Skara. It is truly intriguing to see how this odd mix of artists all work so well together within the walls of Berg Gallery.
Between May 12 and June 16, there’s a solo exhibition showcasing the work of Karolina K. Eriksson. What distinguishes her work from other ceramicists is that her pieces are cast in moulds made out of fabric, a technique that she developed while working on her master degree at Konstfack, the city’s University College of Arts, Crafts and Design.
