Chairman's Statements
“When I look at Hilma af Klint’s paintings, it is not really abstract art, it is a symbolic work of art, with a message. Hilma devoted her life to this work, giving up career, family, and reputation. For her, it was not about the art (she never signed them), but about the message. If you listen to Hilma’s voice today, she would be appalled at what has happened to her work. She has become a curiosity for many, and her art has been sold to the highest bidder on the internet as an investment. It has been sold as tea cups and socks. To her, this was never meant to be. She even hid the art during her lifetime for fear of what the world would do to it.”
Anna Cassel Paintings on the Verge of Transfer to the Anthroposophy Society Sweden
"Dear board members of the Hilma af Klint Foundation and the board of the Anthroposophical Society in Sweden!
I write to you today as you collectively bear the responsibility for the management of the assets of the Hilma af Klint Foundation (hereafter referred to as the Foundation). It is with great concern that I have followed recent developments, particularly the disloyal actions of the Foundation’s anthroposophical board members. I have received confirmed information from both a board member of the Foundation and the Society, stating that you together plan to transfer some of the Foundation’s assets to the Society—specifically the paintings and sketches of Anna Cassel—even though I have pointed out that the ownership of these works is unclear and must be resolved. The fact that I was not informed of this directly is highly alarming. I have raised concerns about Anna Cassel’s works with the Foundation’s members, but they refuse to respond. The Society, too, has chosen not to hold an open discussion on the matter. . .
Anna Cassel entrusted her symbolic paintings to Hilma af Klint for safekeeping. When Hilma af Klint passed away, Anna Cassel’s works were passed down to my grandfather, Erik af Klint. He attempted to donate Hilma af Klint’s works to both the Moderna Museet and the Anthroposophical Society in Finland and Sweden, but all offers were declined."
Click here to read the Chairman’s full statement
Translations:
Swedish | German | French | Spanish | Portuguese
Watch the Documentary Film
The Battle for Hilma af Klint's Legacy
Erik af Klint, Johan af Klint and Hedvig Ersman discuss how the Foundation Hilma af Klint’s work has become infiltrated by commercial interests.
The af Klint family inherited and preserved the work of 1,300 paintings and 26,000 pages of notes that Hilma af Klint left behind. A sacred work that Hilma dedicated her life to receiving from higher spiritual beings. In 1972, Hilma's nephew formed the "Foundation Hilma af Klints work" to create a legal network around the work. When Hilma becomes internationally known and recognized, actors with strong capital become aware of the financial potential that resides in her work, and the foundation is infiltrated. This film is about how a spiritual message has become a capitalistic asset, benefitting private companies, and how the af Klint family struggles to protect their legacy. Read more and delve into the story: https://safetrade.media/en/thehilmapapers. Read more about Hilma's temple: https://www.templet.info.
Stop the Commercialization and Dispersal of Hilma af Klint's Work
with support from:
