GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — The new exhibition extra/ordinary: the American Swedish Institute. At Play is an imaginative new exhibition produced in celebration of ASI's 90th anniversary and explores 29 objects from the permanent collection and the untold stories behind them. This includes some surprises, like the 20 foot tall inflatable Dala horse (often considered a symbol of Sweden.)
American Swedish Institute guests, artist/author Tara Sweeney and ASI Exhibitions Manager Erin Stromgren, joined us on KARE11 NEWS@ 4pm to talk about the new exhibition. The told us how this imaginative new exhibition invites visitors to not only re-discover the wonder of the featured objects, many on public display for the first time, but also rooms in the historic Mansion that have never been open the public before. The ASI invites people to experience the Mansion in new ways with encounters with such surprises as a 20-foot-tall Dala horse and a ballroom full of balls.
The exhibition was inspired by the book A to Zåäö: Playing with History at the American Swedish Institute (U of M Press) that is related to the Swedish alphabet. The book features watercolor paintings and ink illustrations by the St. Paul mother-son team of Tara Sweeney and Nate Christopherson.
The exhibition is on view from February 28-July 5, 2020.
American Swedish Institute | 2600 Park Avenue | Minneapolis MN 55407 | 612-871-4907 www.ASImn.org