The Royal Academy of Fine Art’s collections include works from the 15th century to the present day. The reception pieces, the artwork that each member provides as a kind of donation to the Academy after entry, are not permanently displayed in the public part of the building but can be found in the Academy’s auditorium, salon, office space and depository when the works are not part of specific exhibitions.
With the collection, which includes Swedish as well as foreign artists, architects and honorary members as well as various techniques such as graphics, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography and architectural models, there are great opportunities to create dialogues and perspectives between contemporary and older works.
In a museum context, where collections form a basis for the core operation, it is common to, every two to three years, show the recent years’ acquisitions. The Art Academy’s unique collection of reception pieces has shaped a distinctive art history with the works of its members through past centuries.
This exhibition shows the latest reception pieces added to the Academy’s collection as reception pieces and is part of the ongoing effort of making the Academy’s collection and members visible and accessible. The Royal Academy of Fine Art was founded in 1735 and was for many years strongly dominated by men. Throughout the years, a change in this imbalance has gained ground and the Academy’s members now consist of 46 women and 104 men, whose memberships are divided in the fields of art, architecture and honorary memberships.
The statutes of the Academy stipulate that
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts aims to promote the development of painting, sculpture, architecture and other forms of art that relates to the visual arts.
Together with this exhibition, the Academy’s older collection of graphics from the 18th century is presented, which highlights what students at the Academy and architects studied during this time to supplement their knowledge with topical information on contemporary architecture. By allowing themes from older and contemporary art forms to meet, the Royal Academy of Fine Art wants to highlight its ongoing endeavor to activate and create dialogue between works in the collections and other exhibitions.