Anna Hudak, features editor

The marriage of Swan and Christina Turnblad, both Swedish immigrants, was followed by a life of great monetary success. Swan’s fortune as the owner of “Amerikanska Posten”, the largest newspaper produced in Swedish in the U.S., allowed them to commission architects to build what is known today as the Turnblad Mansion on Park Avenue. Following the death of Christina Turnblad, the last surviving owner, the Turnblad Mansion was donated to the American Swedish Institute (ASI). Today, it serves as an important center of Nordic culture in Minneapolis featuring a wide array of displays and services.

“Arctic Highways: Unbounded Indigenous People,” the current featured exhibition at the ASI, tells the individual stories of 12 Indigenous artists from Sápmi and North America including Tomas Colbengtson, Matti Aikio and Maureen Gruben. These stories touch on themes of migration, tension and borders. In their collective artist statement, the artists of this exhibition explain that “the borders of nation states, arbitrarily drawn without regard to the landscapes of our ancestors have been used to group the Sami people, and to set us up to fight against our brothers and sisters living on the other side.” These themes are explored through various forms of art including textile, sculpture and duodji handcraft. Through this exhibition, audiences are compelled to contemplate what it means to be unbounded.

The second exhibition, “Mygration” by Stina Folkebrant and Tomas Colbengtson, is a spatial, thought-provoking experience that examines circular time, movement and environmental destruction. In a joint statement, Folkebrant and Colbengtson said “Animals know no nationality or national borders; they go where they want they follow the pasture and instinct and people who work with herd animals follow the animals’ cycle.” The inspiration for this art piece was the movement of Sami people to Canada and Alaska following the Gold Rush of 1900 when many Sami people taught the Inuit how to herd reindeer. The exhibition features a black and white painting of an expressive herd of reindeer covering the walls of the room. From the middle hang photos of Inuit people on plexiglass.

In addition to the informative and compelling exhibitions, remnants from the Turnblad residence provide an additional aspect of visual fascination. These remnants include elaborate chandeliers, colorful ceilings depicting themes of nature and ornate fireplaces. I was particularly enthralled by a stained glass window inspired by “Valdemar Atterdag Holing Visby to Ransom.”

The ASI offers its audience the opportunity to experience every aspect of Swedish culture. At the FIKA Cafe, there is a wide array of Nordic cuisine including Smörgåsar (an open sandwich), grönsaker (vegetables) and cardamom bread pudding. The ASI also offers various arts and culture programs, language classes, and Nordic handcraft works. 

Visiting the ASI was an enriching and educational experience. The wide array of objects and art to observe and the setting inside of a historic house made the experience quite unique. It was especially refreshing to see the experiences and stories of the Sami people on display and their knowledge valued, especially considering the history of their treatment in Sweden which included an intense campaign of “Swedification” that lasted until the 1970s. This combination of art, home decor and museum exhibitions means there is truly something of interest for everyone at the ASI.