Goetz B.
Yelp
Artipelag is a stunning building, a delicious cafe and a great exhibition space in Stockholm's archipelago. If you are interested in art or architecture, or just like nature, you should definitely visit Artipelag.
I was lucky that the girlfriend of my Airbnb host was an art student, otherwise I would probably never have known about this gallery. Artipelag is located perhaps an hour away from central Stockholm in the archipelago. And yes, it is a bit of a pain to get there, but there is a bus stop right in front of the building. However, I took a bus from Slussen and instead of waiting and changing to a different bus, I simply got off somewhere and walked the last leg. It took me ages, but the last bit was enjoyable, as they built a little path through the forest.
To be honest, I found the building and the permanent exhibition more impressive than the temporary exhibition. The building is huge and beautiful. It reminded me a lot of Arken Museum of Modern Art near Copenhagen, however when I sent Artipelag an email and asked about it, they seemed surprised, so I guess if anything, only the architect was inspired by Arken.
The light building is dominated by clear lines and simple colours, mostly white, grey and black. I found the large-scale photographs, beautiful nature shots, that were commissioned specifically for the building, most fascinating.
When I was there, the temporary exhibition was called "Land meets water - European and American photography from 1860 to the present". I liked it, there were some great photos. Still, the permanent photographs of the surrounding area were the highlight for me - maybe mostly because I lived in Stockholm for a few months a couple of years ago.
For me, the museum itself is a work of art and I very much enjoyed the time I spent at Artipelag. Whether you check out the exhibitions, just sit in a corner to read or treat yourself to the delicious food at their cafe - I found that being exposed to this architecture, the aesthetics and the calm atmosphere was kind of mesmerising.
While it took me two hours or so to get there, I took the bus from the building on the way back to Stockholm and with one interchange arrived at Slussen within only 40 minutes.
If you like architecture, nature, or photography, Artipelag, "an international venue for art, good food, events and activities", as they describe themselves, is a place you should not miss when in Stockholm.