Free immersive experience in Paris: immerse yourself in the mystical universe of Hilma af Klint, pioneer of abstraction | Knowledge of the Arts

From October 20 to 24, the Swedish Institute in Paris presents Hilma af Klint-The Temple, an immersive experience. The virtual reality work invites the public to immerse themselves in the emblematic masterpieces of the pioneering artist of abstraction.

To start the All Saints holidays in style, and if you dive (for free) into the world ofHilma af Klint (1862-1944)? On the occasion of the publication of the seventh and final volume of the unique Recieved catalog (Stolpe Publishing), theSwedish Institute (Paris, IIIrd arrondissement) hosts a work in virtual reality entitled Hilma af Klint-The Temple which invites visitors, equipped with a VR headset, to take part in a cosmic journey through the patterns and masterpieces of the pioneering artist of abstraction. Inaugurated during Frieze London at the Koko Theater from October 10 to 13, then at Swedenborg House from October 14 to 16, the experience will be presented for the first time in France from October 20 to 24, in parallel with the new art fair modern and contemporary Paris +.

193 paintings made between 1906 and 1915 for this temple

” The artist dreamed of a building in the shape of a spiral to house his most important worksexplains the Swedish Institute. A century later, his vision has been translated into an immersive virtual reality experience. For 12 minutes, the 360-degree experience takes the viewer into a building in the shape of a spiral to discover one of Hilma af Klint’s dreams, which has remained an imaginary and mystical creation until today. Conceived by Daniel Birnbaum and Kurt Almqvist and directed by Marika Stolpe, the experience translates the artist’s spiritual vision into a space that is both physical and immaterial thanks to new technologies (the work is part of a NFT launched by Stolpe Publishing and Acute Art).

In her notebooks, Hilma af Klint describes a project that she calls ” church for a new era ” and of ” museum that she wants to erect on an island in Sweden. Between 1906 and 1915, she painted a series of 193 abstract paintings (some of them monumental) for this ” temple dictated to her by the superior minds who express themselves through her and guide her hand on the canvas. Hilma af Klint – The Temple thus offers a unique opportunity to discover these major works that the mystical artist wanted to bring together in one place. Milky Way, spirals of the nature, majestic black and white swans… In this new spiritual and artistic world, certain paintings also come to life and come alive before the eyes of the 2.0 visitor. To contemplate the works at their true value, the experience invites the spectator to reach ” levels of consciousness beyond that of everyday life “.

During Hilma af Klint-The Temple, some of the artist’s paintings come to life, like Group IX/SUW, The Swan, No. 1 (1915). ©Swedish Institute

Discovering the 1600 works of Recieved catalog

During the thirty-minute session at the Swedish Institute, visitors will also be able to discover the seven volumes of the Recieved catalog which brings together nearly 1600 works by Hilma af Klint, many of which have never been exhibited to the public, and follows the numbering established in 1945 by the anthroposophist Olof Sundström from the artist’s notes. The book allows you to observe the different cycles, patterns and symbols that populate the work of Hilma af Klint to better understand the functioning of her work. This is one of the most complete catalogs raisonnés for a Swedish artist.

Excerpt from the 6th volume of Hilma af Klint’s Catalog raisonné featuring late watercolours. ©Swedish Institute

An upcoming exhibition in London in 2023

Almost 80 years after the death of the artist, Hilma af Klint-The Temple promises to pay a poetic and whimsical tribute to the one who is considered today as one of the greatest modern artists who have revolutionized the history of art. Soon to be highlighted at the Tate Modern in London alongside works by Piet Mondrian (from April 20 to September 3, 2023), the esoteric canvases of Hilma af Klint have been presented in exhibition events in Scandinavia, England and at the Guggenheim in New Yorkwhose first major retrospective of the artist in 2018 became the most visited exhibition in the history of the institution.