Our art and architecture

Ralph Erskine (1914-2005) was a British architect who lived and worked in Sweden most of his life. Ralph Erskine was one of the leading figures in Swedish architecture during a large part of the 20th century. His work was recognized internationally and was honoured with several awards. His architecture is characterized by consideration for the environment and having nature influence the design of the buildings. The Frescati Library is a clear example of this as it carefully surrounds the small oak grove close by.

At Campus Frescati, he has also created Allhuset (1980), Juristernas hus (1991) and Aula Magna (1997).

The bronze sculpture "Private Venus" (2002) takes the form of a small dog, friendly and vigilant, sitting in the atrium that serves as the entrance to the library. It is passed by thousands of visitors daily and is a small, yet significant, figure in the library's environment

Above the wall at the main entrance to the library, there are "Wall Paintings" by Kerstin Abram-Nilsson (1931–1998). The motif, a light green jungle of orchids, reappears inside the library, on the wall near the internal elevator shaft.

"The idea with the wall is that one should remember – in the midst of the verbal culture – that knowledge must be embraced not only by the intellect but by the whole personality. Knowledge must be experienced. And reevaluated... We must be careful and take care of what seems to be nothing, so that it can continue, so that it can retain its courage to live. Where the wall turns inward towards the library, there is a rare orchid, a tropical form that can – if given the right life air and the right opportunities – grow in our northern latitudes all the way beyond the Arctic Circle. If the opportunities exist, it happens. A library is an opportunity."

This is quoted from the artist Kersti Abram-Nilsson in the book "Stockholm University Library 25 Years."
 

In one of the library's atriums, there is "Rational Decision Made on 19/4 2014 at 11:47 AM in the Span of a Fraction of a Second," a thread sculpture made of reinforcing steel, with a total length of approximately 700 meters. The sculpture is attached to a beam from a footbridge.

"I wanted to make something definite out of what was unspecified. Create a space for it, instead of letting it be invisible. The reinforcing steel, which forms the skeleton of a building, a durable, solid, and sustainable material, was used to create three-dimensional traces, shape the space, and reveal the hiding. What seems vague and indefinite may need to be made firm, obvious, and take up space, just like a thought one has carried for a long time that suddenly becomes a decision," said the artist Leontine Arvidsson about her work.
 

The sculpture, made of mixed materials, is placed at the far end of the entrance level in a plexiglass box hanging on the wall. Like many of Ekstrand's works, this piece consists of taxidermied animals – in this case, a bird of prey clutching a dead female duck in its talons – surrounded by flowers, feathers, and dolls, creating macabre contrasts between life and death.

The wood sculpture "The Battle between Angels and Birds" (1972–1974) which was previously located in the entrance hall of Södra Huset, just outside the library, is now situated in one of the atriums on the entrance level. Renqvist drew inspiration for the piece from the ruins of Berlin's city hall, which burned down in 1933.

"It occurs to me that angels and birds are related beings, so war is unnecessary. But it occurs, and therefore, the Battle between Angels and Birds is an apocalypse," says Renqvist in the book "Stockholm University Library 25 Years."

Other sculptures by Torsten Renqvist remain outside the library, including "The Kangaroo" (1978–79), which has become a focal point and meeting place in the large entrance hall.
 

Everything changes, and everything returns to the cycle. This is what Hilda Hellström focuses on in her work, narrating the story of the diatomaceous algae. She explores how they die, transform, and give rise to new life. Silicon, in particular, is linked to Stockholm and the university in several ways. Jacob Berzelius, who discovered the element silicon, was a professor at the Karolinska Institute and secretary at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Stockholm University hosts several contemporary research projects related to diatomaceous algae.

Hilda Hellström works on the border between sculpture and craftsmanship, often using unconventional materials. She primarily engages in casting processes, and her work references geology, archaeology, and mythology, making them particularly suitable for a university setting. In her creative process, she incorporates the will of the material and leaves a significant part of the process to gravity. She sees this as a critique of the worldview that places humans at the center of all relationships.

The artwork was commissioned by the Public Art Agency Sweden and was specifically created for its location in the library's atrium.