1999-2005 I lived in New York, accompanying my husband, Olle Wästberg, who was the Consul General at that time. I had to endure some criticism, as I had left my job to follow along to New York. For me, it was not a difficult decision. Since the end of the 1960s, I had been in New York every year and had long wanted to live there. We arrived at a fantastic residence at 600 Park Avenue, but it was a bit rundown and oddly decorated. In every kind of public relations work that I had previously done, it had been important for the message and the environment to harmonize. I refused to talk about access in facilities that were not so adapted. To highlight Swedish design and to speak from the worn Persian rugs, felt wrong. Newer designs were lacking. With the help of sponsors and Konstfack, I succeeded in converting the residence into an arena for Swedish design, food and culture. This work is documented in books such as, ”Sverige i New York” (Sweden     Läs mer

During my five years in New York, with the Swedish Consulate General Residence at 600 Park Avenue as a base, I had the occasion to use my esthetic expression for what Sweden wants to communicate. It was about selecting interior furnishings, art and design to underscore Sweden’s position as the spearhead of IT and design. We entertained up to 5,000 Americans, at home, each year. I used my new Swedish jewelry to awaken curiosity and give rise to conversations and questions. That I displayed Swedish jewelry led to my being asked to curate an exhibition at the Armory, Park Avenue, for the Bard Graduate Center within the framework of the International Art + Design Fair 2005. The exhibition was titled “Contemporary Swedish Silver: New Approaches to an Enduring Tradition of Craft and Design”. Bodil Karlsson who had done the large drapery sculpture at 600 Park, framed the exhibition with her beautiful pleats. Jewelry by Pia Aleborg, Sofia Björkman, Jenny Edlund, Auli Laitinen, Aud Charlotte Ho Sook Sinding and Annika Åkerfeldt and others was shown. Art     Läs mer