The Painters’ Salon 2024 at Södertälje konsthall is the third edition of Flat Octopus salon; a group exhibition presenting artists focusing on painting in their practice. Since the salon’s start in 2021, the amount of exhibiting artists has nearly tripled. The first edition took place at Candyland in Stockholm and featured works by 33 artists. The second salon was organised at Molekyl gallery in Malmö one year later with a lineup of 74 participants. 

The Painters’ Salon 2024 is Flat Octopus’ largest exhibition up to date for which we selected 98 artists. The invited artists are based in Sweden or have a Swedish connection – if they do not currently live in the country they have studied or worked here – and all of them have in their own way contributed to defining the contemporary Swedish art landscape. The exhibition hosts both recent graduates and established artists of all ages and backgrounds, and the variety of expressions, themes and techniques to be found here is truly remarkable.

In short, our aim with the Painters’ Salon is to offer an insight into the scope of contemporary painting in Sweden, and highlight the breadth and depth it has to offer. We do not claim to show a complete or unified vision, but instead we wish to provide a tasting of what is out there to not miss, as well as to build and continue growing a network of and for contemporary painters.

In recent years painting has witnessed a big comeback, a tendency seen strongly at graduation exhibitions, and with a particular boom of figurative painting. For those of you who might visit degree shows both in Sweden and other countries, it is interesting to compare the very disparate directions that painting takes among the upcoming generations. It is rather magnificent to have access to all this variety in contemporary art, to experience the current developments and ponder the catalysts behind them, and, for some, to be a part of advancing it.

So where is contemporary painting going next? We have long ago moved from understanding painting as an imitation of the perfect world – who knows, perhaps now we can see painting as one creating a beautiful world.

It is an honour to be able to produce the very last exhibition that will be shown in Södertälje konsthall’s current premises in Lunagallerian. Looking back at the rich programme of the konsthall with thousands of artworks presented here since its inauguration in 1978, it feels fitting that we can contribute by adding nearly a hundred artists to become a part of its ongoing history.

Whether painting is your passion or you are passing by out of curiosity, you will certainly find something to enjoy and get inspired by in this diverse display. Thank you to all the participating artists for contributing with their works to this vibrant exhibition, and to Södertälje konsthall for a rewarding collaboration. I am happy to celebrate the magic of painting together with you.

Alice Máselníková, curator, Flat Octopus