Meet the locals: Marita Curran and friends

Profession: Project manager Interests: Food and exercise. Reading is also fun.

My weekend: Marita Curran and friends

When it comes to culture, Marita knows what’s going on in Borås. She is a project manager for arts and cultural events at the destination company Borås TME. Read on to see how she and her friends Ann-Kristin and Sennur spent a jam-packed weekend in Borås, seasoned with world-class art.

Saturday

10.30 am – Museum.

We start off the weekend with a visit to the Borås Art Museum. It’s a short walk from downtown, it always has exciting exhibitions, and it’s well worth a visit. Keep an eye on their website for guided tours!

11.45 am – Lunch break

Utbult Borneby & Co is right next door to the art museum and we stop by for a delicious lunch. The space is unique and cosy, and they have a lovely outdoor seating area. They serve tasty, well-prepared hot and cold dishes based on the season. On our way out, we buy a few light snacks for the upcoming art walk.

2.00 pm – Art walk

To get the most out of our weekend, we’ve booked a guided tour of the public art. An experienced guide takes us on a fantastic tour of the city’s over 100 sculptures, installations and street art paintings, and we learn more about each piece. You can read about current guided tours at boras.com/stadensomgalleri.

3.00 pm – Gallery visit

We head to Österlånggatan (which is also one of Borås’ prettiest streets!) to check out the gallery Revolt. This historic gallery has nearly 40 years in the business, but it’s been under new management since 2020 and is now run by gallerist Johanna Carlander. Going to a gallery is a fantastic experience and it really doesn’t matter if you know about art or not. As we know, the beauty of art is in the eye of the beholder, and this is a great place to go for inspiration or just to enjoy yourself. Today we get to see fascinating, beautiful sculptures by Malou Larsson, in which she emphasises the convergence of clay, glaze and the emotions they foster, and when we leave the gallery, existential thoughts swirl in our minds.

4.30 pm – Coffee break

After a quick walk from the museum, we take a seat in Café Viskan’s outdoor seating area. It has the best sunny location in Sandwalls Plats and it’s always popular. Luckily, we get a table! The coffee here is really good, and they also have the best selection of homemade baked goods in town.

5:30 pm – Hotel hang-out

We check in at the Scandic Plaza and rest for a minute in their comfy beds. We also take the chance to visit their relaxation area, which has a jacuzzi and a sauna, for a bit of a breather. Dressed and ready, we have a glass of wine in the hotel lobby, which always has a wonderful atmosphere. Then it’s time for dinner on the town.

Marita’s favourite works of art:

“House of Knowledge” (sculpture) At the Textile Fashion Center “Bodhi” (sculpture) Installed in Viskan, at Knalletorget “Delicious Brains” (street art) At Norrby Tvärgata

8:00 pm – Dinner & drinks

I booked a table at The TownHouse, and we have a seat on their big terrace. We order their delicious starter platter and a glass of champagne. The evening is mild and lovely. For a main, I choose my favourite: moules frites. We finish with a chocolate fondant for each of us, and the evening feels complete.

Sunday

9:00 am – Hotel breakfast

Does anything beat a long and wonderful hotel breakfast? We have scrambled eggs, orange juice, bacon, freshly baked rolls, sliced fruit and other tasty treats. Now we’re ready for another couple of hours in Borås, the city of art! 12:00 pm – More art

We take a slow walk to Knalleland, which is home to Abecita Pop Art and Photo. This is one of my absolute favourite spots. They have world-class, international art photography and pop art from Europe and the US. On the way out, we have a look in their beautiful shop and a quick cup of coffee in the little café by the entrance.

Tip! If you have time, drop by Wärenstams, which is in the same building. Wärenstams is a gallery with contemporary paintings, sculptures, photography, textiles and ceramics from the Sjuhäradsbygden area.

2:30 pm – French lunch

A 15-minute walk gets us back downtown, to the restaurant Balthazar in Pallasgallerian. It’s the perfect spot for any meal, and on Sundays they open their café area and serve yummy salads and poké bowls. We round out the weekend by ordering their incredibly delicious American-style pancakes with caramel sauce, bananas and peanuts.

Tip!

Take the chance to paint on the open wall at Magasinsgatan 8. It’s open round the clock!