Carl Kostyál: The visionary Swedish gallerist redefining contemporary art

At the helm of the evolving contemporary art scene in Stockholm is the influential Swedish gallerist Carl Kostyál. Eloquent and exceptionally driven, he runs an eponymous gallery focused on emerging artists. In addition to his Stockholm and London programme, Kostyál commissions artist projects at his home in Milan. He runs the family business with his talented wife Katharine - “the secret to our success is that we are art dealers.” Both have spent decades working in contemporary art and are revered collectors themselves.

Although the gallery has multiple locations, Kostyál places emphasis on Sweden where he hosts dynamic exhibitions as well as residencies. He explained that, “it was more interesting to work locally and contribute locally, which has a lot more impact.” He delves deep when searching for unconventional spaces and a recent exhibition 'Målningar Mamma och Pappa' at former asylum Hospitalet with the Swedish artist Camilla Engström - adored on Instagram for dancing in her studio - was met with critical acclaim. A sense of community within Kostyál is demonstrated by his thriving artist residencies everywhere from Los Angeles to Puglia, Italy and the Swedish archipelago, which Engström was also involved in.

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Kostyál describes how “one of my challenges is to find beautiful spaces and then source artwork that aligns with them.” Hospitalet is juxtaposed by the opulence of Stora Sundby, which is equally impressive. He goes on to say that, “in London, we have an old tailor's showroom that I renovated on Savile Row and a space in Milan designed by the modernist architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni that we use.” Another focus in Italy has been on publishing. Kostyál describes how his wife Katharine often has a more scholarly approach - “she is brilliant at contextualising the artists’ work through curating and writing.” Devising books is an important aspect of the gallery, which excites both artists and collectors.

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Defining his influence on the evolving contemporary art scene in Stockholm, Kostyál has an upcoming exhibition with the renowned American artist Alex Israel at the 1940s art deco cinema park designed by Björn Hedvall. Testament to his commitment to supporting artists early on in their career, Kostyál first exhibited the now ubiquitous Israel's work in Stockholm nearly a decade ago. His work has since been acquired by Astrup Fearnley in Oslo and Moderna Museet as well as MoMa in New York. Kostyál believes that “Moderna Museet is the best museum in Scandinavia with its history and curatorial practices. It’s the strength of something that has the balance of never being commercially driven.”

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Since childhood, Kostyál has been well-connected in art. Elisabet af Klint was his godmother and neighbour and when her great aunt, the celebrated Swedish painter Hilma af Klint was lesser known he remembers leading art dealers visiting the apartment. Nonetheless, Kostyál has always been defiantly independent and focuses on his enduring relationships with his artists and devoted collectors. He describes how, “I’m learning and working with people who are learning. Ultimately, we’re trying to work hard and have fun doing it.” It is that pure energy and vivacity that makes Kostyál and his gallery programme so compelling.