Location: The exhibition is held in the authentic setting of Uppsala Castle, where Catherine Jagiellon once lived.

Exhibition period: February 14, 2026 – August 23, 2026

The exhibitions brings together historical artefacts as well as contemporary art from both Swedish and international Museums shaping new perspectives on women’s power, beliefs, and feelings.

Catherine Jagiellon (1526-1583), Princess of Poland–Lithuania became the Queen of Sweden through her marriage to John III. She became an important figure in sustaining the relationships between Sweden and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The exhibition will take place in sections of the Uppsala Castle, where Catherine once lived.

Barbara Radziwiłł (1520-1551) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania (1547–1551) and was married to King Sigismund II of Poland, who was a brother of Catherine Jagiellon. Their marriage was highly controversial as it began as a secret romance.

The exhibition is produced by the National Museum of Lithuania – House of Histories and was shown in 2025–2026. It brought together, for the first time, a large number of original objects with a direct connection to the lives of the two queens, borrowed from museums in Lithuania, Poland, Hungary and Sweden. The exhibition raised great interest and established a new way of telling history through emotions, the body and human experience – side by side with political events.

Contemporary art 

In the Swedish version of „Queens“, the exhibition has been expanded with contemporary art. Here, the historical objects meet contemporary artistic expressions that relate to the exhibition's themes without directly illustrating history.

Among the participating artists are Rita Jokiranta, Lovisa Ringborg and Charlotte Gyllenhammar, whose works move between video, photography and sculpture. Through motifs such as body, vulnerability, presence and power, their works open new entrances to the experiences of the queens – and to questions that are still present in our own lives.

Contemporary art acts as an extension of the narrative, creating a bridge between the past and the present. The contemporary art makes it possible to read history through the eyes of today and to understand how stories about women, power and emotions continue to be shaped and renegotiated.

Upsala Art Museum inf.

 For more information please visit: https://konstmuseum.uppsala.se/en/exhibitions/queens/