Vargtid – Presenting Markus Andersson

This is his first exhibition in Norway in 16 years showcasing six of his stunning art pieces.

Vargtid – Presenting Markus Andersson

When: Saturday 21. January
What: Vargtid Art Exhibition 
Where: Oslo

Tickets: Eventbrite

When the founder of Legatum Publishing Tore Rasmussen met Markus Andersson at the Swedish book and media faire (Swedish: Svenska Bok- & Mediemässan) in 2022 and saw his “Boy by the rock” (Swedish: “Pojken vid Stenen“) painting it did not take long time before we decided to bring his art to Norway and present his art in a artbook, to be published by Legatum Publishing in 2023.

Legatum Publishing is hosting for the first time the art exhibition Vargtid in Oslo, Norway on the 21 January 2023. The concept Vargtid (English: “Wolf Age”) fits perfectly with the themes of Andersson’s art, so it was natural to invite him to join our exhibition.

Markus Andersson is well known in the artistic ecosystem in Sweden, this is his first exhibition in Norway in 16 years showcasing six of his stunning art pieces. Markus Andersson is a highly acclaimed Swedish artist and teacher of art, known for his traditional Nordic style and his ability to capture the natural beauty of animals, nature and people in his paintings. In the composition of his pictures and in the nuances of tones and colors he is able to communicate a deep truth of our being and to elicit a feeling of longing from the observer.

Born in 1968, Andersson was educated at Konstskolan Idun Lovén and Heatherley School of Fine Art. He has studied under the renowned Norwegian artist Odd Nerdrum, and he runs his own art gallery, Galleri Sörängen, located outside of Uppsala. In 2003, he was awarded the Magnus Laurentius Medici award in the category of painting at the Florence Biennale.

Andersson’s work primarily in oil and watercolor, and his paintings have been exhibited at prestigious venues such as Moderna museet, Louvre, and the Florence Biennale. His art is also represented at Sweden’s Embassy in Tallinn and Swedish St. Michael’s Church in Tallinn.

Andersson has found himself at the center of a media firestorm and a legal battle over his “Swedish Scapegoats” (Swedish: Svenska Syndabockar) painting series. One of the paintings, which depicts a group of people wearing traditional Swedish folk costumes with nooses around their necks, has been met with criticism and calls for censorship by the liberal elite.

But Andersson, who has been described as a “succès de scandale” in the art world according to World Wide Kitsch, has stood by his work, insisting that it is a commentary on the state of politics in Sweden and the way that politicians and public figures are often used as scapegoats for society’s problems.

The story of Andersson’s painting began in 2005 when he complained to a jury for an exhibition that the field of contemporary art was too narrow. One juror, Romanian conceptual artist Dorinel Marc, agreed with him and half a year later, Andersson exhibited 22 paintings at the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm as part of Marc’s installation.

According to Andersson, this exhibition was considered to be one of the most important in the contemporary art world and is held every fourth year, with only the fifty most important contemporary artists being invited to participate. Despite this prestigious platform, Andersson’s “Swedish Scapegoats” caused an uproar in the mainstream media and led to calls for its removal from the exhibition by left wing activists.

Among other things, portraits of Christer Pettersson, Daniel Wretström, Pim Fortuyn, Theo van Gogh and Mijailo Mijailovic were shown. 

The painting of Christer Pettersson titled “The Scapegoat”, which depicted Pettersson and a goat, was inspired by the painting “The Scapegoat” by William Holman Hunt. However, the photographer who took the photograph used as a reference for the painting, Jonas Lemberg, later accused Andersson of copyright infringement and reported him to the police in 2006. The dispute was settled in favor of Andersson after a long legal battle that lasted over 10 years until 2017, when the Supreme Court ruled that the painting was a new and original work.

Despite the media created controversy, Andersson’s painting has sparked a much-needed conversation about censorship and freedom of expression in the art world. As he said in the May 2019 episode of The Cave of Apelles; 

“Art should not be censored, but rather challenged and discussed. 
The reaction to my painting has been a perfect example of how the media and the art establishment can manipulate and control the narrative.”

Andersson’s story is a reminder of the power of art to provoke and challenge, and of the importance of protecting the rights of artists to express themselves freely, regardless of how controversial their work may be.