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The Collection of the Institut Tessin, or Ticino as it is also
known, holds a very important place in the Centre Culturel Suédois since it opened its
doors in 1971, and contains approximately 600 paintings, more than 5000 works on paper,
which include drawings, prints and watercolours plus books and other interesting items
that we mentioned above.
The Swedish collection is now under the responsibility of the National Museum in
Stockholm, but is still situated at the Hôtel de Marle, which is located in the heart of
the Marais district of Paris.
The Hôtel de Marle was built in 1560 but in the 1800's it was divided into apartments and
commercial premises which were used by painters writers and for other trades such as
upholstering and a laboratory.
Yet in 1965, the Hôtel de Marle was purchased by the Swedish government after the
cultural advisor and historian Gunnar W Lundberg had persuaded them to do so.
They restored the building with the founder Gunnar Lundberg's idea of using it as a
cultural centre and temporary housing for Swedish people who were staying in Paris and
were studying Parisian culture, along with the display of the immense collection, which
totals around 6000 works.
Today, the ground floor of the Ticino is always occupied by temporary exhibitions and the
first floor is what houses the permanent exhibits. There is also a theatre that
hosts concerts, films, plays and literary meetings, plus the Hôtel de Marle wings have
five studios for artists and Swedish researchers.
There is a very comprehensive library that is home to art collections and documentation,
but this is where one can also learn about modern Swedish culture and the modern country
of Sweden itself.
We all know that Paris is a multicultural city and within the courtyard of the building
you can find a true Swedish cafe, which serves traditional food.
The Centre Culturel Suédois is open from a Tuesday through to Friday from 10am to 1pm and
2pm until 6pm for the permanent exhibitions. It is always closed on a Monday and
both French and Swedish holidays.
The temporary exhibitions are open from a Tuesday through to a Sunday from 12 noon to 6pm
and the Swedish café is also open the same times.
Address & Contact Details:
Centre Culturel Suédois
Hôtel de Marle
11 Rue Payenne
75003
Paris
France
Telephone: 1 44 78 80 20
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