Öyvind Fahlström (1928–1976) was one of the most innovative and mercurial artists of the 20th century, who produced a truly innovative and boundary-defying oeuvre. This unique exhibition includes visual art, poetry, theatre, literature, music, dance, and film, and will reflect the great diversity of expression within the large international network of artists who inspired and were inspired by Öyvind Fahlström.
Sven-Harrys’ party for Öyvind brings together many of the most influential artists of the era, including Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, Barbro Östlihn, Carl Johan De Geer, Christer Strömholm, Claes Oldenburg, Cy Twombly, Dennis Hopper, Ernest Cole, Faith Ringgold, Gunilla Palmstierna-Weiss, Jean Tinguely, John Cage, Kiki Kogelnik, Lee Bontecou, Lena Svedberg, Marie-Louise Ekman, Marisol, Merce Cunningham, Mimi Gross, Niki de Saint Phalle, Patty Oldenburg, Peter Weiss, Robert Rauschenberg, and Roy Lichtenstein. And, of course, Öyvind himself.
Party for Öyvind reflects an age that was shaped by the challenges of the post-war era, but which also offered unique opportunities for a new kind of openness and playfulness, as a younger generation sought to throw out the old and find their own way of life that would focus on their lust for life and hope for the future, as well as the right to own one’s identity, sexuality, and expression, in art, music, literature, and poetry.
The name of the exhibition comes from the invitation that Patty and Claes Oldenburg sent their friends to a celebration of Öyvind Fahlström’s birthday and his first solo exhibition at the legendary Sidney Janis Gallery in New York in 1967. The party was a huge affair, with several hundred guests, many of whom are also participants in the exhibition.