The Bildmuseet has recently moved to its new location and building within the Arts Campus of Umeå University and is led by director Katarina Pierre since May 2011. It is a part of the University and is administered in the same way as the other departments on the campus, which constitutes an exception in Sweden. The museum is also open to the public. “That is amazing”, explains Katarina Pierre, “because it means we can easily cooperate with the students, institutes or the Art Academy.”
In conjunction to Kirunatopia / In the Shadow of the Future, she is planning a program that includes talks with researchers and theorists from the University about their work in relation to the exhibition, as well as lectures and workshops held by guests at the University or other institutions.
The move of the museum plays an important role here. “From now on, we are next-door neighbors with the Institute of Design, the School of Architecture and the Academy of Fine Arts situated right at the Umeå River”, says Pierre. All of these institutions have separate buildings, but are connected to each other underground.
International contemporary art is the main focus of Bildmuseet. But besides that, according to Katarina Pierre and Brita Täljedal, the specific location of the Bildmuseet should be reflected in the museum’s program.
