A conversation with Joanna Sandell Wright
On Liljevalchs’ collaboration with Market Art Fair, the potential to reach new audiences, and the role of Nordic art in a global context.
Market Art Fair enters a new phase in 2025, expanding to the entire Liljevalchs building, including its contemporary extension, Liljevalchs+. This is just one of several exciting developments for the fair, which will welcome 51 galleries—up from 47 last year—while introducing larger booths and more space for ambitious presentations. The expanded scale also intensifies the collaboration with Liljevalchs, reinforcing the fair’s role as a key meeting point for Nordic art.
For Joanna Sandell Wright, Art Gallery Manager at Liljevalchs, the partnership feels like a natural evolution: “Liljevalchs has a mission to internationalise its programme,” she says. “For example, we are hosting When We See Us, an exhibition curated by the upcoming curator of the Venice Biennale 2026, Koyo Kouoh, together with Tandazani Dhlakama, this upcoming fall. Market Art Fair is a perfect platform for cultivating this mission.”
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Photo by Mattias Lindbäck. Courtesy of Liljevalchs
It also offers an opportunity to reach new audiences. Compared to Liljevalchs’ regular programming, the fair brings in a younger crowd—a shift that Sandell Wright sees as a step forward. “It is a natural step for us to work more closely with Market Art Fair as part of our audience engagement practices,” she explains.
“The arts need a healthy environment consisting of both the private sector and public institutions.”
At its core, the collaboration is about strengthening the art ecosystem as a whole. “The arts need a healthy environment consisting of both the private sector and public institutions,” Sandell Wright reflects. “Both the artists and the audiences will benefit from more collaborations and a more resilient art world.”
Beyond the fair, Liljevalchs continues to strengthen its commitment to supporting Nordic art. “As the oldest and largest public art institution in Stockholm, we have more than 2,000 sqm of exhibition space, and I hope to exhibit artists from all corners of the region in the upcoming years,” Sandell says.