About Vårsalongen

Here we have collected the most common questions about Vårsalongen. Please note that complete and detailed information about the application can be found on each year's current registration form.

What is Vårsalongen?

Vårsalongen is a jury-judged exhibition that is open for anyone over the age of 18 to apply to. Vårsalongen runs from mid-January to March and thus begins every new art year at Liljevalchs. The first salon opened in 1921, and Vårsalongen is, therefore, the country's oldest unbroken* exhibition format. Each work is for sale, and the price set by the participants themselves is in the exhibition catalogue.

*The spring salon has been cancelled a few times, including during the emergency time during The Second World War. In the earliest years of the salon, it also bore other names, and the exhibition period shifted. Otherwise, the concept has been the same over the years.

How big is the audience at Vårsalongen?

The spring salon has grown into a large public event and a real folk festival where each exhibitor has the unique chance to be seen by an audience of around 100,000 people.

Who can apply to Vårsalongen?

The age limit for the spring salon is 18 years. Anyone who has reached the age of 18 at least the year before the exhibition opens may apply. The spring salon is open to all artistic expressions and techniques.

When is the application deadline?

The exact date varies but the rule of thumb is September-October each year. To apply for the Spring Salon 2024, the application, including photographs, must be submitted no later than October 12 (digitally by 23.59; postmark October 12). Read more about the application rules here.

Where and when can I get the application form?

The application form with all the rules is usually available at the beginning of the summer and the the digital form at the end of the summer. Keep an eye on the Liljevalch website and social media! 

The application form for Vårsalongen 2024 is available (as a PDF) in three languages: Swedish, English and Arabic.
Download the form in Swedish
Download the form in English
Download the form in Arabic

You can submit a digital application here.

How many works can I apply with?

You can apply with a maximum of five grants, and you do not search with the objects/works themselves but with photographs of them. More information (which also applies to DVDs and the like) can be found in the registration form.

I've exhibited my works before, can I search with them anyway?

The jobs you are applying for may be at most three years old and should not have been exhibited before. 

Why does Liljevalchs charge for registration and commission when selling works?

The registration fee of SEK 300 and the commission of 30 percent that Liljevalchs charges for the sale of works shall cover the administrative costs that the handling of all our salon applications requires at all stages. 

How does Liljevalchs select the jury to assess the contributions?

A new jury is appointed every year. Liljevalchs invites people to the jury who, in various ways, have professional experience of other people's artistic activities. Their background varies. Sometimes, the jury has consisted of artists, sometimes representatives of other art institutions, sometimes of gallerists and sometimes of art critics.

Is it just the art that the jury thinks is "best" that comes with it?

The purpose of jury work is not to choose what is "best", although the jury is, of course, looking for quality. The jury's mission is to select works that can interact with each other in a generous and pleasurable exhibition. Each work is also assessed anonymously, and the jurors do not have access to the names when determining.

I've searched several times but never made it, should I give up?

Don't give up if you still find it fun and exciting to apply! Since there is a new jury – and a new exhibition – every year, you always have the chance to join. Read the answer to the previous question, and it will be clearer how the selection is made.

If I am interested in buying a work at Vårsalongen, how do I do it?

Each work is for sale, and it is first come, first served throughout the exhibition period. A good idea is to be in place on the first day we have a number tag system. For the rest of the exhibition period, tell the staff at Liljevalch's store which work you want to buy. You must pay within 30 days from the conclusion of the purchase agreement, and the art will, of course, be collected after the end of the exhibition.

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