A specialist in monumental paintings with geometric motifs, Barbro Östlihn is the latest Scandinavian artist to be honored by theSwedish Institute. The cultural center nestled in the Marais district of Paris has announced a free exhibition devoted to this painter, several of whose works are also part of the collection of Stockholm's Moderna Museet.
Born on May 20, 1930 in Bromma, Sweden, Barbro Östlihn began her career in Stockholm, before moving across the Atlantic to New York in 1961. It was in Manhattan that the Swedish artist developed her taste for monumental painting. Her large-scale canvases combine fragments of architecture, geometric macroforms and mosaic motifs. After New York, Barbro Östlihn finally settled in Paris, France, where she died on January 27, 1995.
Long overshadowed by her husband, Öyvind Fahlström, Barbro Östlihn played a key role in cultural exchanges between the United States and Europe. The artist was also one of the few women to exhibit at Pop Art at London's Hayward Gallery in 1969.
In 2025, theSwedish Institute in Paris pays tribute to the work of Barbro Östlihn with a free exhibition on view from March 28 to July 20. For the occasion, the Scandinavian cultural center will present some twenty of his emblematic works, focusing more specifically on architectural and pictorial spatiality.
The Swedish Institute in Paris: Sweden's only cultural center abroad
For a trip to Scandinavia without even leaving the capital, head for the Swedish Institute! Housed in the sublime Hôtel de Marle since 1971, the Nordic cultural center offers a rich and varied program of events all year round, showcasing art, music, design and cinema straight from Sweden. [Read more]
Dates and Opening Time
From March 28, 2025 to July 20, 2025
Location
Swedish Institute
11 rue Payenne
75003 Paris 3
Prices
Free
Official website
paris.si.se