The art in the Riksdag buildings
The Riksdag buildings contain numerous works of art, including paintings, sculptures and tapestries. The art collection belongs to the Swedish population as a whole.
A large proportion of the art in the Riksdag buildings was bought in connection with the conversion of the West Wing of the Riksdag following the introduction of a unicameral Riksdag. The new Chamber which accommodates 349 members was completed in 1983. The Riksdag Art Group decided that the art should be sourced from living artists who are active in Sweden.
Site-specific art
There are a number of site-specific works of art that are integrated with the Riksdag buildings. A site-specific work means that it has been created for a particular place and is legally considered to be part of that property. Site-specific works can be physically attached to the building, such as a mural painting, but they can also be detachable.
The tapestry A Memory of a Landscape which hangs in the Chamber is an example of a site-specific work in the Riksdag.
Images of the art in the Riksdag buildings
Here is a selection of the works of art that can be found in the Riksdag buildings.
Anna Bjerger's work of art depicts the deeds of the first five women members of the Riksdag and hangs in the Grand Stairway of the Riksdag's East Wing.
The tapestry A Memory of a Landscape by Elisabet Hasselberg Olsson is hung on the wall behind the Speaker's table in the Chamber in the West Wing of the Riksdag. The tapestry is made of 200 different shades of grey of hand-dyed flax sourced from across all of Sweden’s provinces. The tapestry spans 54 square metres and measures 9.6 metres wide and 5.5 metres high.
The sculpture Girl by Lena Cronqvist greets members of the Riksdag as they walk across the passage that connects the East Wing and the West Wing of the Riksdag on their way to the Chamber. It can serve as a reminder that there is reason to reflect, even in a safe environment, on the vulnerability of children in the world of adults.
The sculpture Bowl in the Sign of the Sun by Hertha Hillfon depicts a sun which is folding away its rays and lying down to rest. The sculpture is located in the Bank Hall, the room which you come in to, having entered via the main entrance of the West Wing of the Riksdag.
The work of art by Astrid Göransson depicts two women who are carrying forward the first five women along a newly laid path which leads to the entrance of the Riksdag.
Portrait of the former Speaker Birgitta Dahl, painted by Ulf Gripenholm. The portrait hangs in the Grand Gallery in the East Wing of the Riksdag.
Portrait of the former Speaker Björn von Sydow, painted by Peter Dahl. The portrait hangs in the Grand Gallery in the East Wing of the Riksdag.
Located in the West Wing of the Riksdag is the Ultimate Accolade Room, which celebrates ordinary people who have carried out extraordinary acts. One of the artworks in this room is the tapestry The Flight by Eva Ek-Schaeffer, which was inspired by a boat with Kurdish refugees arriving on Fårö in 1991. The inhabitants of Fårö opened up their homes to help the refugees.
In the ceiling of the Grand Gallery is a dome-shaped skylight. The skylight has various settings: morning light, daylight and evening light. Encircling the skylight are the 24 county coats of arms, as the counties were represented in 1904.
All Prime Ministers who have served in office for at least one electoral period are depicted with a relief or medallion. The commemorative piece is put up in the Grand Stairway in the East Wing of the Riksdag. Carl Bildt stands here beside his medallion during its unveiling in 2018.
The sculpture That Which Lifts Me Up, Keeps Me Grounded is located in the Chamber Foyer which members pass on their way to the Chamber. The artist’s name is Klara Kristalova.
The ballot urn by the artist K-G Nilson. When the Riksdag elects a Speaker, the vote may be held by a secret ballot when ballot papers are placed in the colourful ballot urn. The pattern on the urn resembles a map and can be said to represent our country with its water, land and roads. A red bridge unites the roads and can symbolise agreement. The golden apple on the lid of the urn can be considered the fruit of knowledge. In the picture, votes are being counted after the election of the Second Deputy Speaker in 2022.
Anna Bjerger's work of art depicts the deeds of the first five women members of the Riksdag and hangs in the Grand Stairway of the Riksdag's East Wing.
The tapestry A Memory of a Landscape by Elisabet Hasselberg Olsson is hung on the wall behind the Speaker's table in the Chamber in the West Wing of the Riksdag. The tapestry is made of 200 different shades of grey of hand-dyed flax sourced from across all of Sweden’s provinces. The tapestry spans 54 square metres and measures 9.6 metres wide and 5.5 metres high.
The sculpture Girl by Lena Cronqvist greets members of the Riksdag as they walk across the passage that connects the East Wing and the West Wing of the Riksdag on their way to the Chamber. It can serve as a reminder that there is reason to reflect, even in a safe environment, on the vulnerability of children in the world of adults.
The sculpture Bowl in the Sign of the Sun by Hertha Hillfon depicts a sun which is folding away its rays and lying down to rest. The sculpture is located in the Bank Hall, the room which you come in to, having entered via the main entrance of the West Wing of the Riksdag.
The work of art by Astrid Göransson depicts two women who are carrying forward the first five women along a newly laid path which leads to the entrance of the Riksdag.
Portrait of the former Speaker Birgitta Dahl, painted by Ulf Gripenholm. The portrait hangs in the Grand Gallery in the East Wing of the Riksdag.
Portrait of the former Speaker Björn von Sydow, painted by Peter Dahl. The portrait hangs in the Grand Gallery in the East Wing of the Riksdag.
Located in the West Wing of the Riksdag is the Ultimate Accolade Room, which celebrates ordinary people who have carried out extraordinary acts. One of the artworks in this room is the tapestry The Flight by Eva Ek-Schaeffer, which was inspired by a boat with Kurdish refugees arriving on Fårö in 1991. The inhabitants of Fårö opened up their homes to help the refugees.
In the ceiling of the Grand Gallery is a dome-shaped skylight. The skylight has various settings: morning light, daylight and evening light. Encircling the skylight are the 24 county coats of arms, as the counties were represented in 1904.
All Prime Ministers who have served in office for at least one electoral period are depicted with a relief or medallion. The commemorative piece is put up in the Grand Stairway in the East Wing of the Riksdag. Carl Bildt stands here beside his medallion during its unveiling in 2018.
The sculpture That Which Lifts Me Up, Keeps Me Grounded is located in the Chamber Foyer which members pass on their way to the Chamber. The artist’s name is Klara Kristalova.
The ballot urn by the artist K-G Nilson. When the Riksdag elects a Speaker, the vote may be held by a secret ballot when ballot papers are placed in the colourful ballot urn. The pattern on the urn resembles a map and can be said to represent our country with its water, land and roads. A red bridge unites the roads and can symbolise agreement. The golden apple on the lid of the urn can be considered the fruit of knowledge. In the picture, votes are being counted after the election of the Second Deputy Speaker in 2022.
Anna Bjerger's work of art depicts the deeds of the first five women members of the Riksdag and hangs in the Grand Stairway of the Riksdag's East Wing.
The tapestry A Memory of a Landscape by Elisabet Hasselberg Olsson is hung on the wall behind the Speaker's table in the Chamber in the West Wing of the Riksdag. The tapestry is made of 200 different shades of grey of hand-dyed flax sourced from across all of Sweden’s provinces. The tapestry spans 54 square metres and measures 9.6 metres wide and 5.5 metres high.
The sculpture Girl by Lena Cronqvist greets members of the Riksdag as they walk across the passage that connects the East Wing and the West Wing of the Riksdag on their way to the Chamber. It can serve as a reminder that there is reason to reflect, even in a safe environment, on the vulnerability of children in the world of adults.
The sculpture Bowl in the Sign of the Sun by Hertha Hillfon depicts a sun which is folding away its rays and lying down to rest. The sculpture is located in the Bank Hall, the room which you come in to, having entered via the main entrance of the West Wing of the Riksdag.
The work of art by Astrid Göransson depicts two women who are carrying forward the first five women along a newly laid path which leads to the entrance of the Riksdag.
Portrait of the former Speaker Birgitta Dahl, painted by Ulf Gripenholm. The portrait hangs in the Grand Gallery in the East Wing of the Riksdag.
Portrait of the former Speaker Björn von Sydow, painted by Peter Dahl. The portrait hangs in the Grand Gallery in the East Wing of the Riksdag.
Located in the West Wing of the Riksdag is the Ultimate Accolade Room, which celebrates ordinary people who have carried out extraordinary acts. One of the artworks in this room is the tapestry The Flight by Eva Ek-Schaeffer, which was inspired by a boat with Kurdish refugees arriving on Fårö in 1991. The inhabitants of Fårö opened up their homes to help the refugees.
In the ceiling of the Grand Gallery is a dome-shaped skylight. The skylight has various settings: morning light, daylight and evening light. Encircling the skylight are the 24 county coats of arms, as the counties were represented in 1904.
All Prime Ministers who have served in office for at least one electoral period are depicted with a relief or medallion. The commemorative piece is put up in the Grand Stairway in the East Wing of the Riksdag. Carl Bildt stands here beside his medallion during its unveiling in 2018.
The sculpture That Which Lifts Me Up, Keeps Me Grounded is located in the Chamber Foyer which members pass on their way to the Chamber. The artist’s name is Klara Kristalova.
The ballot urn by the artist K-G Nilson. When the Riksdag elects a Speaker, the vote may be held by a secret ballot when ballot papers are placed in the colourful ballot urn. The pattern on the urn resembles a map and can be said to represent our country with its water, land and roads. A red bridge unites the roads and can symbolise agreement. The golden apple on the lid of the urn can be considered the fruit of knowledge. In the picture, votes are being counted after the election of the Second Deputy Speaker in 2022.