Modern Art + Design presents: Ingemar Dahlberg's collection

Ingemar Dahlberg

Collector and passionate observer

Bukowskis presents Ingemar Dahlberg's Collection of artworks at Modern Art + Design. Viewing the 12th to the 16th of May, Auction the 17th and 18th of May

Browse and bid

Words by art historian and critic Thomas Millroth

Ingemar Dahlberg was always eager for new inspirations. On our art trips to his favourite city of Berlin, museums like Hamburger Bahnhof were waiting to be explored. He also discovered one of the city’s most important gallery owners after “die Wende”, Inga Kondeyne, who represented artists including Joachim Böttcher and Hanns Schimansky. Their meeting was not a mere coincidence; both Curt Asker and Lotti Ringström were part of her circle. Here simplicity, light and abstraction ruled above all else.

Ingemar liked this approach and felt it could be found in Swedish art after 1945. Rolande Kemp, an early art friend of his when he first started collecting, shared this view and it could be seen in his dense red and black interiors.

Ingemar was an expert in the post-war generation of artists. We often discussed various works and trends in-depth and when Ingemar made his choices they were always spot on, such as Lennart Rodhe’s “Hönshuset” (The Henhouse).

In 1990 I reconstructed the legendary Konkret (Concrete) exhibition of 1949 at Galerie Blanche. Ingemar took this opportunity to acquire some unbeatable classics from the 40s; Pierre Olofsson’s “Krumelur” (Squiggle) and “Brokig knut” (Colourful knot), Olle Bonniér’s “Fuga” (Fugue). On another occasion, he bought Arne Jones’ “Treklang” (Triad). An impressive quartet in Swedish art history!

Olle Bonniér, "Fuga", kollage av litografier samt gouache 69 x 104 cm <

To Ingemar, art often meant friendship.

He had a special relationship with PO Ultvedt, whose “Dömd till skinka” was a permanent feature on every visit to the Dahlbergs’ home on Baggensgatan.

His proximity to Björn Axlund’s gallery on Stortorget was significant; here nothing was imposing and instead the mood was all fragility and reticence. Artists such as Karl Granqvist and Marianne Hall demanded stillness and thought.

At every moment, the art touched Ingemar. Literally. He was especially fond of small sculptures one could pick up and hold in one’s hand. Böttcher, Renqvist and Hall I have already mentioned. With Carl Milles, Martin Holmgren, Liss Eriksson, Asmund Arle, Robert Jacobsen and Erik Dietman, they stood on their shelf to delight the eye and welcome curious fingers.

Torsten Renqvist, "Hästlyftaren", Sculpture, wood and metal screws, height 104 cm. <