Princess Estelle of Sweden looked grown up and summer-ready for her visit to her sculpture park. The 13 year old, dressed in a belted frock and sneakers, returned to the Princess Estelle Sculpture Park in Stockholm on Tuesday, June 3, with her mom, Crown Princess Victoria, and dad, Prince Daniel, for the inauguration of new artwork.
© Jessica Gow/TT/ShutterstockMonika Sosnowska's sculpture "Museum" is the sixth artwork acquired by the Princess Estelle Cultural Foundation for the park. According to the Swedish Royal Court, the Polish artist's sculpture "draws its inspiration and material from a planned art museum for Rosendal, initiated by King Karl XIV Johan in the 1830s. Despite ten years of planning, the museum was never realized, but hundreds of marble pieces were ordered and have since been stored. Eleven of the nearly 200-year-old original pieces, which were originally intended to adorn the museum's facade and interior, are now integrated into the new artwork Museum."
© Jessica Gow/TT/ShutterstockIn remarks at the event on Tuesday, Prince Daniel, who is on the board of the Princess Estelle Cultural Foundation, spoke of the art museum that Karl XIV Johan had dreamed of building. "Right here, where we are standing. The museum was to be a magnificent building, 80 meters long and 16 meters wide – designed by Fredrik Blom, one of Sweden’s most esteemed architects at that time," the Prince said (translated to English). "Hundreds of marble components were made and delivered. But then, time took a turn and the museum was never built. The stones were left behind, to sleep in silence for nearly two hundred years. Until now."
© Jessica Gow/TT/Shutterstock"Today, eleven of those marble fragments rise again – embedded into a new form, a new voice: the raw, bold language of Monika Sosnowska. Thank you, Monika! It has been a privilege for us to work with you and thank you for making this incredible piece of art," Daniel continued.
Founded in 2019, the sculpture park was established by the Princess Estelle Cultural Foundation, which is "committed to encouraging interest in contemporary art and enhancing Sweden’s cultural standing globally." Estelle visited the park with her parents last year for the inauguration of the fifth permanent work in the Princess Estelle Sculpture Park. In his speech then, Daniel said, "I believe that every generation has a responsibility to leave a mark of its time for future generations — the Princess Estelle Sculpture Park is our contribution to the early 21st century.”
