A star-studded night when the Stena Foundation culture scholars of 2021 were honoured at the grand Anniversary gala event and Award ceremony
This year, the Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture is celebrating its 25th jubilee anniversary. Last week, the foundation hosted a glitzy gala event at the Gothenburg Concert Hall. The scholarship recipients are soprano and conductor, Barbara Hannigan; artist, Emanuel Röhss; and honorary scholarship recipient, actress and producer, Alicia Vikander.
Left to right: Madeleine Olsson Eriksson, chairwoman Stena Foundation, Alicia Vikander, Barbara Hannigan and Emanuel Röhss
Almost 800 guests gathered in Gothenburg Concert Hall to celebrate the Stena Foundation's 25th jubilee anniversary. They were treated to a wide-ranging and fantastic program. The foundation's chairwoman, Madeleine Olsson Eriksson, handed out scholarships to this year's three culture scholarship recipients and guided the audience through an evening filled with varied and exciting performances.
The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Anja Bihlmaier, premiered a work by Andrea Tarrodi, commissioned by the Stena Foundation especially for the anniversary event.
Sara Trobäck on violin and Claes Gunnarsson on cello, played a specially arranged suite with music by Artur Piazolla, together with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
Opera singers Katarina Karnéus, mezzo-soprano and Camilla Tilling, soprano sang the Flower Duet by Delibes.
Musician and singer, Daniel Norgren, performed his own song, The Old Saw Mill.
This year's honorary scholar, actress and producer, Alicia Vikander, danced lindy hop to Sing, sing, sing, together with 14 students and the artistic director, Sebastian Michanek, from the Swedish Ballet School.
The choir, Vocal Art Ensemble, led by Jan Yngwe, sang A Triumph to Exist, set to music by Jan Yngwe.
Jazz bassist, Lars Danielsson, and pianist, Grégory Privat, performed two compositions by Lars Danielsson together with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
Actor David Dencik, described his assignment as Artist in residence at the Academy of Music and Drama at the University of Gothenburg.
The illusionist, singer and author, Carl-Einar Häckner, did magic tricks and sang his own song, Jag vill bli berömd (“I want to be famous”), together with accordionist, Bernt Andersson.
This year's culture scholarship recipient, soprano and conductor, Barbara Hannigan, sang and conducted the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in George Gershwin's Girl Crazy Suite.
During the evening, the scholarship recipient and artist, Emanuel Röhss, was also presented. Alicia Vikander and Mirja Wester, CEO of Göteborg Film Festival, presented Alicia Vikander Film Lab, which they have created with the support of the Stena Foundation. Carina Halvord, CEO of the science center, Universeum, and Professor Anders Ynnerman showed a film and described the major investment in the new visualization lab at Universeum, supported by the Stena Foundation. Through films, the audience also learned more about the Spinal Cord Injury Center Gothenburg, National Centre of Competence for Rare Diseases (Ågrenska) and the Ministry of Narrative (Berättarministeriet), just a few of the many important activities that have received funding from the Stena Foundation.
The entire jubilee gala was recorded and can be seen freely via GSOplay until 18 December.
Sten A Olsson Foundation 25-year anniversary: Jubilee and scholarship concert in Gothenburg Concert Hall (gso.se) (in Swedish)
Separate exhibition at the Gothenburg Art Museum
On 4 December, a separate exhibition opened at the Gothenburg Art Museum; a large-scale installation by Emanuel Röhss, this year's scholar in art and design. He transforms the room with moving images, audio, light and scenography. The exhibition Belly of the Beast runs until 20 March 2022.
CULTURE SCHOLARS AND HONORARY SCHOLAR 2021
SOPRANO AND CONDUCTOR BARBARA HANNIGAN
Motivation:
The Canadian soprano and conductor, Barbara Hannigan, has attracted new listeners to classical and contemporary music, with her unique combination of virtuosity, scenic charisma and artistic courage. For a new generation of singers and musicians, she is not only a role model, but also an active and generous co-creator through her two mentor projects Equilibrium Young Artists and Momentum: Our Future, Now.
Hannigan's repertoire is impressive. She has premiered over 80 new works, many composed directly for her. In Gothenburg, she has made a strong impact with several stunning programs, including performances of Stravinsky's opera, The Rake’s Progress. Since 2019, she is Principal Guest Conductor at the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
For innovative interpretations, uncompromising commitment and an artistry in constant development, Barbara Hannigan is awarded a 2021 scholarship from the Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture.
Contact:
Samantha Holderness, samantha@encore-artists.com, +44 7816 89 31 89
www.barbarahannigan.com
ARTIST EMANUEL RÖHSS
Motivation:
Emanuel Röhss explores the possibilities of space to create fiction by unifying architecture, ornaments and visual art. His creative process takes place where sculpture, installation and moving images meet, but materials and medium are allowed to change depending on the specific conditions of the site.
Decorative elements are detached from buildings or cinematic sequences; reborn as scenography and rebuilt into new worlds. With ambiguous installations, the viewer's experience of the surroundings changes and a borderland is established, with room for cultural memories and subconscious layers.
For an artistry that transforms space, stretches the boundaries of perception, and expands artistic expression, Emanuel Röhss is awarded a 2021 scholarship from the Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture.
Contact:
Emanuel Röhss, emanuel.rohss@gmail.com , +1 929 262 9359
emanuelrohss.com
Oscar Carlson, info@issues.gallery; +46 760 30 99 44
HONORARY SCHOLAR
ACTRESS AND PRODUCER ALICIA VIKANDER
Motivation:
Alicia Vikander's unique ability to form and give depth to the characters she portrays has led to her meteoric rise from her formative years in Gothenburg to the absolute top tier of the international film world.
With her direct and disarming appeal, she has portrayed a wide variety of characters, including royal yearning, tortured artistry, action heroines and freedom-seeking humanoid robots.
With award-winning roles in films such as Pure, A Royal Affair and The Danish Girl, she has reached a broad audience and established herself on the global film scene, where she is now firmly established as one of film history's great Swedish actors.
For her artistic presence and brilliance, her intense and nuanced role interpretations, Alicia Vikander is awarded the 2021 honorary scholarship from the Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture.
Contact:
Birgitta Plyhm, PR Stena Foundation, birgitta@plyhm.se, +46 707 77 12 90
Press images
Photos of and interview films with this year’s scholarship recipients are available here: https://www.stenastiftelsen.se/vara-bidrag/kulturstipendier/. Material is also available in the press room here: https://news.cision.com/se/sten-a-olssons-stiftelse-for-forskning-och-kultur
Jubilee box
As the Stena Foundation is celebrating 25 years, a special jubilee box is published, containing three volumes: a yearbook; a special jubilee book about the impact of the foundation and its first 25 years; as well as an exhibition catalogue for the exhibition Towards another world – 25 years of Swedish contemporary art – the Stena Foundation culture scholars 1996-2020 which will be shown at the Gothenburg Art Museum until 13 February 2022. The yearbook 2021 describes the new visualisation lab at Universeum that will soon open. It also includes personal interviews with this year's three culture scholars.
All three parts of the jubilee box are available as pdfs here: https://www.stenastiftelsen.se/press-kategori/publikationer/ (in Swedish)
ABOUT THE STEN A OLSSON FOUNDATION
FOR RESEARCH AND CULTURE
STENA FOUNDATION CULTURE SCHOLARSHIPS
2021
The STENA FOUNDATION for Research and Culture was founded in 1996 in conjunction with shipowner, Sten A Olsson's 80th birthday. The foundation is celebrating its 25th jubilee anniversary this year. Through the foundation, the family provides support for research and cultural activities, primarily in Gothenburg and West Sweden.
The jubilee anniversary has been celebrated in a variety of ways throughout the year, including the inauguration of a new visualization laboratory at Universeum, several major exhibitions at the Gothenburg Museum of Art and a newly written musical at the Gothenburg Opera based on the music of Håkan Hellström.
“I look back on the Stena Foundation's first 25 years with pride. We have had the privilege of following many interesting projects from idea to implementation in research, as well as numerous brilliant cultural initiatives. Behind each project are extremely committed and talented people. It has been fantastic to be able to bring their visions to life. Together, we share a motivation to reach out and make a difference for many people. Since we have our roots here in West Sweden, there has also a been a desire from the beginning to work as good citizens; to share and to give back when we have the opportunity," says Madeleine Olsson Eriksson, Chairwoman of Stena Foundation for Research and Culture.
The Stena Foundation has made several different contributions to research and culture. Here is a summary of some current donations:
- THE GOTHENBURG OPERA (“Kärlek skonar ingen”): 9 000 000 SEK
- UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG: 42 000 000 SEK
- BRIS: 3 000 000 SEK
- BERÄTTARMINISTERIET: 2 000 000 SEK
- FÖREBILDARNA: 11 000 000 SEK
- ACADEMY OF MUSIC AND DRAMA/ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: 1 500 000 SEK
- GÖTEBORG BAROQUE: 3 500 000 SEK
- STENA INDUSTRY INNOVATION LABORATORY; SII-LAB: 21 000 000 SEK
- RYGGMÄRGSSKADECENTRUM: 34 000 000 SEK
- THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL GOTHENBURG INAUGURATION: 4 000 000 SEK (2019 – 2021)
- UNIVERSEUM: 50 000 000 SEK (25 + 25 MSEK)
- THIS YEAR’S CULTURE AND HONORARY SCHOLARSHIPS: 900 000 SEK
Exhibitions at the Gothenburg Museum of Art 2021
- April 20 – June 20: Exhibition with the 2020 recipients of the Stena Foundation Culture Scholarship with the artists Carl Hammoud, Hanna Järlehed and Martin Solymar
- June 12 – September 19: Focus on Europe – New objectivities 1919–1939. The exhibition was made possible through a donation from the Stena Foundation
- October 30 – February 13 2022: Jubilee exhibition with selected works from previous recipients of the Stena Foundation's culture scholarships
- December 4 – March 20 2022: Exhibition with the recipient of the 2021 Stena Foundation's culture scholarships in art and design
During the jubilee year, the following activities have also been supported: Artscape with mural painting in Biskopsgården, Styrsö chamber music days, Lovskolan in Hammarkullen and Hjällbo,
KIM with music experiences for people with functional variations, Arabian Theatre's children's performance The Heroines, Nobel Prize Museum on Tour, Dance Remaining in conjunction with Dance day.
Since 1996, when the Stena Foundation was founded, decisions have been taken to distribute over 540 million SEK in support for specific projects; a total of 155 scholarship recipients in culture, as well as 320 master's scholarships as travel grants.
WWW.STENASTIFTELSEN.SE
25th anniversary 2021 | Stena A Olsson Foundation
FOR MORE INFORMATION
PLEASE CONTACT
BIRGITTA PLYHM
PR, STENA FOUNDATION
+46 707 77 12 90
BIRGITTA@PLYHM.SE
PHOTOS CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE
www.news.cision.com/se/sten-a-olssons-stiftelse-for-forskning-och-kultur
Kulturstipendiater | Stenastiftelsen
Photographer: Magnus Gotander
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