Ystad skulpturpark

The theatre was designed by Ystad’s first town architect Peter Boisen in 1892. Its design, with a characteristic 1800s classical facade, was based on a theatre in Leipzig. The theatre has always been the pride of Ystad and is also loved by all the artists who have performed there. A garden with gravel paths was created in front of the theatre.

Ada and Rudolf Möller, a theatre-loving couple from Ystad, had the idea of complementing the theatre park with a work of art. They therefore donated SEK 100 000 to Ystad Municipality for that purpose. One condition was that the sculpture was to have a ballet motif. Selected artists were invited to take part in a competition. The winner was Birgitta Stenberg-Hultén. Her idea was a dancing couple, cast in bronze, who with thin, almost mannered, extended bodies perform a classical pas de deux. The sculpture was unveiled with pomp and ceremony in 1976.

Birgitta Stenberg-Hultén was educated at Lena Börjesson’s Sculpture School in Stockholm. Her public art can be seen in places such as Malmö, Helsingborg and Linköping.