Komtemåtta: A Pioneering Safe Space for Women

The unique Fogelstad Women’s Citizens School serves as inspiration for the work of contemporary artists Olivia Plender, Åsa Elzén, Åsa Sonjasdotter, and Petra Bauer. The school originally operated from 1925 to 1954 at the Fogelstad Estate outside Katrineholm and was a self-organized, one-of-a-kind educational experiment created by women, for women. It gathered women from all corners of society to train them in citizenship rights. Several of the founders had been active in the fight for women’s voting rights, and two of them—Elisabet Tamm and Kerstin Hesselgren—were among the five first women elected to the Swedish Riksdag (parliament) in 1921.

Beyond the artworks, the exhibition includes archival materials from the school such as photographs, film, documentation, and books about and by the school’s founders and students. The artist Siri Derkert (1888–1973) was an enthusiastic course participant, and a selection of drawings and sculptures made during her time there will be on display. Around the same time, the Sámi activists Elsa Laula Renberg and Karin Stenberg were active. Their efforts are highlighted in work by Anders Sunna and Susanne Ewerlöf. The exhibition, in collaboration with Norrbotten Museum, shines a light on women from the region that participated in courses at Fogelstad. Graphic design by Maryam Fanni. In collaboration with KvinnSam, Gothenburg University Library, Norrbotten Museum, and Liljevalchs.

Graphics by Maryam Fanni. In collaboration with Kvinnsam, Gothenburg University Library, Norrbottens Museum and Liljevalchs konsthall.

Picture: Olivia Plender