Ulrika Björkman Markkula

In the chapel of the main house at Hildasholm this summer, a light blue Madonna by the artist Ulrika Björkman Markkula. The work is part of a series of sculptures in which Ulrika explores the symbolic language of the Madonna and its power to express spiritual protection, sorrow, hope and quiet presence - without words.

The light blue Madonna, dressed in lace and recycled textiles, carries a silent message. 3D-printed and hand-painted, the sculpture becomes a link between old and new, between sacred expression and contemporary art.

With her Madonnas, Ulrika wants to highlight the anonymous women's crafts that are often forgotten - lace, embroidery and crocheted tablecloths are given new life in the designs. The sculptures move freely between context and space, but always retain their charged presence.

Behind the inspiration is also a deeply personal heritage - a small wooden Madonna that once accompanied her grandmother on her escape from a bombed-out Vienna. It is this figure that today, in enlarged and reworked form, lives on in Ulrika's art.

Exhibition centre: The chapel in the main building, all summer 2025.