Witches

The acclaimed exhibition WITCHES makes its West Swedish debut this autumn. In the Year of Our Lord 1668, Satan’s fury is unleashed in Sweden. Suddenly, women are accused of witchcraft and consorting with the Devil. The king sends out a witchcraft commission with the authority to impose the death penalty. The verdicts begin to fall—and become the spark that sets the witch fires ablaze across the country. “The Great Noise” has begun. And before it falls silent, the axe and the flames will have claimed nearly 300 women’s lives.

An experience where scenography and history come together

WITCHES is a multisensory exhibition depicting real events and lives shaped by the witch trials. Here, you meet the women accused of witchcraft in 17th-century Sweden and the children who testified against them. Gossip in cottages turns into “truth” and leads to fatal consequences. This is a visual, evocative exhibition created by artist Pompe Hedengren and scenographer Erik Gullberg. Real events are portrayed using AI as an artistic device to bring history to life. The women and their executioners take shape. We can glimpse what they looked like and who they were.

History teacher and presenter Cecilia Düringer, from the podcast P3 Historia, wrote the exhibition text. WITCHES is the first historical exhibition in Sweden to have been created in part with the help of AI. It has attracted large audiences and has been shown at, among other places, the Swedish History Museum, Kalmar Castle and Örebro Castle. This is the first time it has been shown in western Sweden.

The main image was generated by AI.