Lennart Nilsson’s archive to be made accessible for research and the public
The Hasselblad Foundation has awarded a grant to the University of Gothenburg to preserve and make Lennart Nilsson’s extensive photographic archive accessible. The archive, which will be held and managed in the long term by the Gothenburg University Library, comprises one of Sweden’s most significant photographic oeuvres.
Lennart Nilsson played a decisive role in shaping the role of photography at the intersection of science, medicine and society. Through this support, the Hasselblad Foundation helps make the material searchable and accessible to researchers, students and the public. The aim is for the archive to open in 2029.
Lennart Nilsson was the first recipient of the Hasselblad Award in 1980.
Grant awarded: SEK 640 000
Read more at the University of Gothenburg.
Centre for analogue histories, practices and futures in photography and publishing
The Hasselblad Foundation has awarded a grant to Konstfack for the project Centre for analogue histories, practices and futures in photography and publishing, initiated by Cecilia Grönberg, Professor at the Department of Fine Art.
The project aims to explore analogue photography and publishing in relation to contemporary image practices and technological change. A central part of the project is the development of a material library comprising photographic artefacts, publications, prints, manuals, films and viewing technologies, primarily from the analogue twentieth century. The material library will serve as a pedagogical and artistic resource for students and contribute to new conversations about the history, materiality and future of photography.
The project also includes public talks, invited guests, study visits, exhibitions, printed publications and a digital portal. The work will be carried out during the period autumn term 2026–spring term 2028.
Grant awarded: SEK 400,000
Curatorial intensive courses in photography
The Hasselblad Foundation has awarded a grant to HDK-Valand at the University of Gothenburg to develop an international programme of intensive curatorial courses in photography.
The programme is aimed at emerging curators and seeks to strengthen photography-specific curatorial expertise through short, site-based and internationally rotating educational formats. It will create opportunities for knowledge exchange, professional development, and long-term networks among curators, institutions, and photographic contexts across different parts of the world.
The first intensive course is proposed to take place in São Paulo, Brazil, with a focus on photographic practices, questions of representation, and social engagement. The programme builds on experiences from the pilot project Point in Time with Ingrid Pollard in 2025.
Grant awarded: SEK 800 000
Coming soon
Arkiv Eva Klasson
The aim of Lotta Granqvit’s project Arkiv Eva Klasson, is to makes the archive of photographer and artist Eva Klasson accessible. Granqvist, has through the Department of Culture and Aesthetics at Stockholm University, written her dissertation En konstnär träder fram, where she spent eight years studying Klasson’s artistic practice through archival materials.
Paris 1975, from the series Le troisième angle
© Eva Klasson
The body is at the centre of Eva Klasson’s (now Amiteera Birina) artistic work, and often the artist’s own. Klasson, born in 1947 in Borås, is considered a key figure in Swedish photographic history and is represented in numerous national and international institutions, including the Hasselblad Foundation, Moderna Museet, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.
Despite her internationally acclaimed artistic practice and unique method, there has been little research into Eva Klasson’s work, making Lotta Granqvist’s dissertation especially valuable. Like many female artists, Klasson has spent decades collecting materials about her artistic practice, but has not archived this material at any institution that can preserve it under appropriate conditions. Because of this, Granqvist will through this project organize and digitize the material and make it available to future researchers and to those interested. The material will later be donated to the Hasselblad Foundation. This research not only helps to highlight Klasson’s artistic work but also contributes to preserving the legacy of a female artist whose practice has long been marginalized.
Arkiv Eva Klasson receives support of 170,000 SEK from the Hasselblad Foundation.
Making the Hasselblad Foundation’s Film Collection Accessible
The project Lens-Mediated Convergences: Inventory, Digitization, Analysis, and Accessibility of the Hasselblad Foundation’s Film Collection is a collaboration between the Hasselblad Foundation, the National Archives of Sweden (Riksarkivet), GPS 400 at the University of Gothenburg, and Erik Florin Person, PhD in Film Studies at Linnaeus University. The project focuses on the Hasselblad Foundation’s film collection, which consists of approximately 60 reels of analog film. These films are currently stored under conditions that are not ideal for preservation and are only partially categorized.
The aim of the project is to inventory, digitize, and analyze the Hasselblad Foundation’s film collection in preparation for its transfer to the National Archives. In addition to inventorying and digitizing the films, the project will also explore how the material can contribute to a greater understanding of lens-mediated practices and cultures in Gothenburg, Sweden, and internationally during the 20th century. There is also potential to make the films accessible and share the project’s findings through digital platforms, exhibitions, and other public events.
Lens-Mediated Convergences receives support of 395,000 SEK from the Hasselblad Foundation.
Konstnärliga
Konstnärliga is the new building for the Artistic Faculty at the University of Gothenburg. The building will house all of the faculty’s programs, as well as research and development activities, with the aim of encouraging development through interdisciplinary collaboration. It will be a place where future generations of artists, musicians, actors, visual artists, designers, and educators can be challenged, educated, and engaged in research.
image from Skanska
The building, located at Götaplatsen, will consist of a newly renovated Artisten and two new additions. Among its features will be the new workshop space called Medianen, focused on digital methods in art and design, particularly in the areas of visual arts, moving images, and sound. Additionally, an XR studio, media infrastructure, and a photography lab are three crucial investments that will serve as integral components of a larger, cohesive production environment.
The ongoing collaboration with the Hasselblad Foundation, specifically Hasselblad Studio, is an important factor for innovation, with the project playing a central role in the development of photography studies.
Konstnärlig has received a grant of 5 million SEK from the Hasselblad Foundation.
Bokmässan – Högstadiedagen (2024)
During the 2024 book fair, Bokmässan in Gothenburg, 250 ninth-grade students from Gothenburg were invited to participate in a photography project. Space was the theme for the fair, and the aim was to spark the students’ interest and enhance their visual expression. Each student contributed a photograph and a short text that reflected the scientific, imaginative, and existential dimensions of space.
Image from Bokmässan
The 250 photographs were displayed both at Bokmässan and as part of the special exhibition To the moon and back at the Hasselblad Center, where the students’ interpretations mirrored humanity’s first steps on the moon through contemporary perspectives.
Högstadiedagen received 300,000 SEK in support from the Hasselblad Foundation.
The Ukrainian Warchive
In the book 13 Stories of War, The Ukrainian Warchive has compiled individual visual essays created by 13 Ukrainian photographers and artists, illustrating the impact a full-scale war has had on their country and its people since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Roman Bordun – The view from the house in Irpin on June 30, 2022.
Their photographic testimonies go beyond conventional narratives and, paired with text, offer readers a nuanced and personal perspective that transcends typical media coverage. The essays delve into themes of resistance, loss, and hope, providing a vivid account of the human experience at the heart of the conflict. Emine Ziyatdinova is the editor of the book, and the foreword is written by Swedish photojournalist Paul Hansen.
All photographs are part of the Ukrainian Warchive (Ukrainian Photo Archive of War), a digital archive that collects and preserves still images from professional photographers documenting the Russian-Ukrainian war. The project aims to safeguard the photographic legacy and memory of the war while supporting Ukrainian photographers who are documenting events in Ukraine.
13 Stories of War
The book has been funded by the Hasselblad Foundation, the Swedish Institute, and the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna (Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen, IWM) under the Documenting Ukraine program.
Contributing artists: Julia Kochetova, Yana Kononova, Evgeniy Maloletka, Lisa Bukreyeva, Roman Pashkovskiy, Alena Grom, Sergii Polezhaka, Dmytro Kozatskyi, Sasha Kurmaz, Alexander Glyadyelov, Olia Koval, Viacheslav Ratynskyi, Roman Bordun.
The Ukrainian Warchive received a grant of 350,000 SEK from the Hasselblad Foundation.
Hasselblad Studio
Hasselblad Studio will be a central addition to the Artistic Faculty at the University of Gothenburg’s new building at Götaplatsen, playing a key role in the university’s efforts to promote creative and interdisciplinary work. By providing advanced technological infrastructure and an inspiring environment for research and education, Hasselblad Studio will help strengthen the university’s position as a leading actor in the fields of art and culture – locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, benefiting future generations.
image from Skanska
Hasselblad Studio is an XR studio, a specialized space dedicated to extended reality (XR), an umbrella term for various technologies that merge the physical and digital worlds. XR encompasses three main technologies: Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). The studio will be available to students, teachers, and researchers at the University of Gothenburg, and will also provide physical, technological, and expertise-based resources for the university’s education, research, and collaboration efforts.
Hasselblad Studio is supported with a grant of 4.2 million SEK from the Hasselblad Foundation.
Bokmässan – Vår Stad (2023)
During the 2023 book fair, Bokmässan in Gothenburg, around 500 ninth-grade students from Gothenburg took part in a photography project, in collaboration with Bokmässan, Familjebostäder, and the Hasselblad Foundation. The project provided an opportunity for the next generation of adults to contribute as co-creators of their city’s collective story.
Image from Bokmässan
Students from six schools contributed photographs and short texts reflecting their daily lives and views on Gothenburg. Together, they created a multifaceted image of the city today, seen through the eyes of those who will one day shape its future.
Vår Stad received 300,000 SEK in support from the Hasselblad Foundation.