about the place stensnäs
Scenic and mysterious
The Stensnäs manor is located where the road and the forest end, and the landscape opens up to reveal a typical Småland lake.
The place breathes spaciousness and tranquil beauty during the day. In the evenings and at night, however, it transforms into more of a fairy tale, filled with magic. The historical, mystical atmosphere stimulates imagination, playfulness, and creativity, especially when thunderstorms roll in or the full moon hangs over the lake.
Stensnäs manor
The current main building, a white wooden house, was built around 1860 for a wealthy family. Three spacious and beautiful verandas face different directions. The house is surrounded by tall maple, beech, and oak trees, as well as flower beds and vast lawns with apple trees. Old, grand, and magnificent, the house rests like a dream on a peninsula in the beautiful, island-rich Lake Stensjön. Water is close and present both indoors and outdoors.
Two smaller houses, the North and South Wings, as well as a larger red painted barn, are also located on the peninsula. The houses have been renovated for accommodation and studio use. Near the small gravel road leading to the house lies a ruin of a former stable, close to what was once the forest ranger’s dwelling. The forest around it contains many old hiking trails and beautiful, time-worn stone walls. A wood-fired sauna is located near the lakeshore and the small beach.
Early history
The place is surrounded by a fascinating history stretching from ancient times through the Middle Ages to more recent history connected to science and politics. The peninsula has attracted people throughout history. The house was formerly known as Ugglebo, "the home of owls", and was once a fort belonging to the local noble Drake family, based in the nearby village of Ryssby.
In earlier times, Stensnäs was equipped with both a moat and a drawbridge, traces of which are still visible today. Robbers and rebels once lurked in the surrounding forests, and during one bloody event a nobleman living in the house was brutally beheaded. At other times, however, great celebrations were held on the peninsula — so grand that, according to witnesses, poor farmers from the surrounding area would line up in the darkness outside the illuminated hall, pressing their noses against the windows to catch a glimpse of a world entirely different from their own.
Political shadows
The history of Stensnäs manor contains both light and darkness. The place strongly reflects traditional Nordic rural culture and national romanticism. Beneath the surface, however, lies a history marked by social injustice and inequality.
In the year 1945, our relative Herman Nilsson-Ehle (1873–1949) discovered the manor was for sale and once in the family ownership he introduced cultivated apple trees and plants to the estate.
He was, however, not only a world-renowned geneticist and famous plant breeder at Lund University and Svalöv, but also a scientist who supported Nazism and legitimized racial biology and eugenics.
For this reason, Stensnäs Art is not only an artistic project but also a political one. We stand for democracy and freedom of expression, diversity, and human rights for all. While all artistic practice at Stensnäs Art is free and independent, these values underpin and permeate our work.
who are we?
In the year 2000, we inherited the Stensnäs manor in Småland. Those of us who together run Stensnäs Art are a family in the broadest sense. We come from different parts of Sweden and the world. In addition to caring for the place, we spend time in nature, work, play, gather on the boat, in the sauna, or around shared meals.
We love Stensnäs for its unique atmosphere. To us, Stensnäs is a world within a world, a sanctuary. There is room here for both stillness and explosive activity, for playfulness as well as the deepest seriousness. It is a place for searching and exploration, as well as for many kinds of expression and creativity.
For us, Stensnäs is not only ours, not merely a possession. The farm has belonged to many, and as we see it, it still belongs to more than just us today. Through the Stensnäs Art project, we want to invite artists for residency stays, collaborate with local partners, and complement the art scene in Småland. We believe in the power of art to transform and to bring people together.
Gunilla
Tilde
Viveka
Sandrine
Kristian
Nils
mugisha
Carl
Anette
Fabrice
Darcie
Boaz
Marian
Maja
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