Photographic Pop History Exhibition Opens at Örebro Castle
On October 7th, Örebro Castle will unveil a remarkable piece of music history. Nearly 200 unique photographs capturing Swedish and international pop and rock icons from the 1960s and 70s will be displayed in the halls of the historic castle. All images were taken by a single photographer: Larsåke “Skuggan” Thuresson.
For over a decade, Thuresson photographed more than 300 foreign and Swedish musicians and bands. While many images were published, the vast majority remained packed away in boxes in Thuresson’s attic until his daughters convinced him to do something with them. The result was the book “Icons” published in 2015, featuring 614 photos of legendary artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, ABBA, and many more.
In 2021, the book was transformed into an exhibition produced by Dunkers kulturhus in Helsingborg. In addition to the photographs, the exhibit includes posters and vinyl records connected to Thuresson’s work. After showings at Liljevalchs konsthall in Stockholm that attracted 50,000 visitors, this incredible slice of pop history is now coming to Örebro Castle.
“I have photographed nearly 100 international and over 200 Swedish artists and rock and pop groups,” says Larsåke. “Sometimes I regret not taking more pictures, but maybe that’s exactly what allowed me to get the photographs I did. The secret may be to just walk around, take it easy and have a dialogue with those you’re going to photograph. Just take a few pictures now and then. I don’t think it’s good to be too messy or intrusive.”
Some of the images were commissioned assignments, while many capture private moments rarely accessible to today’s photographers. Unique shots include Cher on a shopping trip and Agnetha and Björn from ABBA playfully posing for the camera in their own home.
The exhibition runs until February 4, 2024 and aims to establish Örebro Castle as a venue for high-quality exhibitions.
For more information, contact Johanna Bjelkengren at Örebrokompaniet/Örebro Castle.
