A better whole - that is what Britta Söderqvist, Superintendent of the World Culture Museums, promises when the East Asian Museum once again fills with visitors.
"It feels really fun. There is a great longing to be able to take part in the museum again," she says.
The collection exhibitions have been updated and in the exhibition "In our lives" the Swedish-Asian diaspora depicts how Asian cultural heritage influences Sweden today. On opening day there will be Bollywood dancing, K-pop performances and a muay thai match.
Empty
But not everything is as happy. In one of the large rooms, an interactive exhibition by the Chinese master of drawing Qi Baishi was supposed to take place - instead it is empty. The exhibition was cancelled late, a month before opening, and there was no time to plan anything else.
It's not possible in such a short time, says Rani Kasapi, head of exhibition operations.
According to an article in DN, Beijing Fine Art suspended the delivery of Qi Baishi's artwork after the Chinese embassy questioned a work by Taiwanese artist Kao Jun-Honn in the exhibition, "The Sun of Zeelandia." Concerns were also expressed that the opening ceremony would be politicized.
How have you handled the diplomatic trade-offs?
The authority fully determines what we show. We would never allow ourselves to be influenced in any way, we do not make trade-offs, we make decisions about what we want to show, says Britta Söderqvist.
The artwork was created as part of the project "Bringing Objects to Life" which aims to challenge museums' colonial history. From the collections, Kao Jun-Honn reinterprets a 17th-century coat of arms that belonged to the Consul General in Formosa. Jun-Honn also had children paint flowers from the shield and in a film they present the process - along with the Taiwanese flag.
The work makes the collection more important, Rani Kasapi thinks.
That's what's interesting, being able to continue using our own collection but asking new questions and creating new meetings.
Crowded
Britta Söderqvist cannot say how much the cancelled exhibition has cost the museum. Will it have financial consequences?
We are in dialogue so we cannot comment on it now, she says.
To top it all off, the museum opens with a currently uncertain future. From 2027, rent increases of 12.3 million are expected from the Swedish Property Board.
It's a huge amount of money, so of course we're very tight-lipped," says Britta Söderqvist.
If politicians do not present a solution, the recently reopened museum may be forced to close.
The exhibition "In our lives - Asian cultural heritage in motion". Personal stories explore five themes: muay thai, yoga, meditation, food culture and Indian dance. Among other things, Bern's first Asian menu from the 1940s is on display.
The artwork “The sun of Zeelandia” by Kao Jun-Honn. Reinterprets a 400-year-old shield of arms that was commissioned by a Swedish official working for the Dutch East India Company. The work is part of the Museums of World Cultures’ project “Bringing objects to life”.
“Stitch after stitch.” A small exhibition about boro, which means rag textiles, a practice from Japan.
"Four Perfections". Painting room about poetry, calligraphy, painting and seals, where a drawing by Qi Baishi is also displayed.
The museum's workshop, Ateljé ginkgo, has been renovated and now offers more creative activities.
Östasiatiska was closed for two years to renovate the property on Skeppsholmen in Stockholm. Among other things, the Swedish Property Board has carried out an elevator replacement that required all objects and exhibitions to be taken down.
The State Property Board has announced that it will increase the rent by 57 percent for the Ethnographic Museum.
Without compensation in the 2027 budget, the Swedish Museums of World Culture plan to terminate the leases and close the museums. According to management, an extra 35 million a year is needed to keep them running.
Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand said this spring that it is a matter for the next budget.
