Swedish sculptor Eva Hild has contributed a new permanent public artwork to Värnamo, Sweden, with the inauguration of WAVE — a flowing, wave-formed bench in stainless steel.
The bench is the sixth piece in Bänkarnas stad (City of Benches), an ongoing public art project along Laganstråket, the riverside path connecting Vandalorum art centre to Värnamo city centre.
WAVE is positioned west of the river Lagan, between the headland Osudden and the suspension bridge, approximately 500 metres north of the existing bench Polygon.
Weighing approximately 1.5 tonnes, WAVE is described by the artist as soft and welcoming. Its open perforations allow views through the sculpture to the surrounding landscape, creating a meditative quality suited to its riverside setting. Hild, who is based in Sparsör outside Borås, works primarily from clay, but her public sculptures are typically realised in steel or aluminium. She has completed around 40 public commissions to date and is represented in collections including the Museum of Art and Design in New York, Nationalmuseum, and Röhsska museet.
WAVE was donated to Värnamo municipality by Tore G. Wärenstams stiftelse, a foundation based in Borås. The connection between the foundation and Värnamo is biographical: the foundation’s namesake, Tore G. Wärenstam (1908–1981), was born in the nearby village of Kärda and began his career at Värnamo-Bladet before becoming editor-in-chief, CEO, and principal owner of Borås Tidning. The foundation, established in 1968, exists principally to ensure continued local ownership of the newspaper, and supports a range of cultural activities in the Sjuhärad region.
As part of this cultural mission, the foundation is donating three benches by Eva Hild — one each to Borås, Ulricehamn, and Värnamo — reflecting the places most closely associated with Wärenstam’s life. Works by Hild have been part of the foundation’s collection for years, and a selection was exhibited at Vandalorum as early as 2017.
Bänkarnas stad was conceived to strengthen Värnamo’s profile as a city of design, art, and furniture manufacturing. Each bench in the series is uniquely designed by an artist and donated by a company, association, or private individual. The project originated with Kadim Akca’s 2012 donation of the bench Gemenskap, designed by Annika Heed. Previous contributions include works by Johnny Grauengaard, Fredrik Wretman, Charlotte Gyllenhammar, Ellen Ehk Åkesson, and Lone Larsen.
The project is a collaboration between Värnamo municipality, Värnamo Företagareförening, and Vandalorum.
https://www.evahild.com
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