César Baldaccini 1921–2021

To celebrate the centenary of the birth of César, one of the masters of nouveaux réalisme, we would like to share a happening from the GKM history with you. It was in the fall of 1988 that Siwert Bergström, the founder of GKM, got an idea.

Siwert had met with César some years before during FIAC, a meeting which resulted in presenting some works of the artist at Stockholm Art Fair as well as in editing a multiple together. Now it was time for a one-man-show in the gallery in Malmö and it really became a show! As Siwert heard the Volvo slogan “The value of Volvo remains” he got the idea to materialise the message and persuaded César to make a compression of a Volvo car. It was an unforgettable event when this legendary sculptor, assisted by Siwert, presided over the compression in front of an audience of visitors who witnessed the creation of a work of art in a run-down junkyard in Malmö. It was a true success and the value of the Volvo car not only remained, but increased.

At the initiative of Leif Almö from Scand Vision, the happening was captured in a video which we would like to share with you.

Compression Volvo. 1988.
160x60x60 cm.
Private collection Belgium.

Galleri GKM
Stora Nygatan 30
SE-211 37 Malmö, Sweden
+46 (0)40 611 99 11
office@gkm.se