Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, Non-Violence, 1982 © Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd / Bildupphovsrätt 2019

Selected Exhibitions and Biography Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd

Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd was born in Stockholm in 1934 and died in Landskrona in 2016. He is one of Sweden’s most internationally-famed artists, and was a part of the dynamic modern art scene that evolved in the 1960s and thrived in venues such as the recently-opened Moderna Museet. In 1961, Reuterswärd participated in the iconic group exhibition Movement in Art, before moving to New York the following year. Here you can follow parts of his life and selected exhibition history, year by year.

1934

Born June 4, Stockholm, Sweden.

1951

Makes his debut at 16 years of age as a poet with the poem “Thoughts About a Farewell” under the pseudonym of Charlie in ”Svenska Dagbladet” on February 18.

1951–1952

Moves to Paris to study for Fernand Léger.

1952

Participates in the group exhibition ”Elèves de Fernand Léger”, Galerie St-Julien Le Pauvre, Paris.

1952–1955

Studies at Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm.

1955

Returns to Paris.

Solo exhibitions at Institute of Contemporary Arts, London and Galerie Samlaren, Stockholm.

Publishes the poetry collection ”Abra Makabra”.

1961

Participates in the group exhibition ”Rörelse i konsten” (”Movement in Art”), Moderna Museet, Stockholm.

1962

Moves to New York, USA.

Presents a happening along with Öyvind Fahlström in the TV show ”Hylands hörna”, Sveriges Radio TV,

1963

Publishes the public notice that was the basis for the ”Kilroy” project in the New York Herald Tribune, January 19–20:

”CARL FREDRIK REUTERSWÄRD Closed for holidays 1963–1972”.

1965

Professor at Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm.

Designs costume, set design, and light for the theater play ”Herr von Hancken” at the Royal Opera, Stockholm.

1966

Publishes the book ”Prix Nobel”.

1969

Designs set design with laser for ”Doktor Faust”, Royal Opera, Stockholm.

1970

Moves to Bussigny/Lausanne, Switzerland.

1972

Solo exhibition, ”Kilroy”, Moderna Museet, Stockholm and Centre National d’Art Contemporain, Paris.

1974

Solo exhibition, Karl Flinker, Paris.

1975

Solo exhibition, ”L’art pur l’or”, Studio Marconi, Milan.

1976

Participates, in collaboration with Hans Bjelkhagen, in the exhibition ”Holography – the three-dimensional medium” at Kulturhuset in Stockholm.

Solo exhibition, Galerie Maeght, Zürich.

1977

Solo exhibition, ”Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd: 25 Years in the Branch”, Moderna Museet, Stockholm and Malmö Konsthall, Malmö.

1978

Solo exhibition as first European artist, ”Lasers & Holography”, Museum of Holography, New York.

1982

Solo exhibition, ”The Pratt-Müller Empire”, Bonlow Gallery, New York.

1982

Solo exhibition, ”Caviart”, The Otis/Parson Art Institute, Los Angeles.

1984

Solo exhibition, ”The Kafka Portfolio”, Petit Foyer, Centre Pompidou, Paris.

1986

Solo exhibition, ”Stil ist Betrug oder Gesammelte Werke”, Sprengel Museum, Hannover.

Solo exhibition, ”Zeichnungen und Skulpturen”, Städische Galerie zum Strauhof, Zürich.

1988

The first Non Violence sculpture is placed in the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, USA.

Publishes ”Look, I’m invisible!” The first part of his autobiographical trilogy.

1989

Solo exhibition, ”Hors d’état de nuire”, Galerie Lucien Durand, Paris.

Suffers a stroke which paralyzes the right side of his body. Changes hand preference from right to left.

1991

Solo exhibition, ”Dunster, nya arbeten”, Galleri Bengt Adlers, Malmö.

1993

Solo exhibition, ”Das Graphische Werk”, Sprengel Kunstmuseum, Hannover.

1994

Solo exhibition, ”CFR, porträtteckningar”, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.

1995

Initiates the project ”Non Violence”, a nonprofit with the aim to inspire, motivate, and engage young people on conflict resolution without resorting to violence.

1996

Publishes ”Alias Charlie Lavendel 1952–1961”, the second part of his autobiographical trilogy.

1997

Is awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the art of holography.

England’s Rotary International grants the Paul Harris Fellow Award to the Non Violence project.

Solo exhibition, Ystads konstmuseum, Ystad.

1999

Solo exhibition, Musée Jenisch, Vevey.

2000

The ”Non Violence” project is granted the Daily Points of Ligth Award, which honors exceptional initiatives by the community and is awarded by the president of the USA.

Publishes ”Closed for Holidays – Memoirs”, the third part of his autobiographical trilogy.