The Swedish Institute of Paris Paris – Culture & snacks

The Swedish Institute of Paris is a little piece of the Nordic country in the heart of the city. I recommend this place to spend an hour off the beaten track of the Marais district. Whereas everywhere you find tourists, crepes and gaufres with nutella and the classic tourist catchers, this building is a peaceful haven with a different touch. Bought by Sweden in the '60s, it was completely refurbished and transformed into a cultural center with a small museum, auditorium, library and a cafe. The place hosts temporary exhibitions of high quality and also a permanent exhibition of the Institut Tessin foundation.

There is a cafe area where one can currently take away Swedish sandwiches and soups as well as coffee or sweets with the original recipes. The environment there is modern, design-oriented, and it feels like an oasis in the middle of the busy center of Paris.

From May 20th 2021, a new sculpture exhibition will be inaugurated: Les Îles is Karl Dunér’s first exhibition in France. It features ten artworks including several animated sculptures and multimedia pieces. Two of the works were specially created for the exhibition in Paris. Inspired by Raymond Queneau’s Cent mille milliards de poèmes (1961) and Georges Perec’s Je me souviens (1978), they highlight Karl Dunér’s deep and long-standing relationship with French literature.