Fine and ugly art
Surely it's sad when people don't understand great art? But surely it's even more sad when artists don't seem to understand what is still good or bad art? There is so much grotesque, ugly art. There seem to be no limits. You're speechless sometimes. It's a waste of tax money when the state buys ugly art. I think there is art that people would generally call good or bad, and this page is my attempt to shed light on this. I think we should clean up and pick up the ugly art and replace it with something beautiful. Let the art professors, art buyers and the know-it-alls change jobs, some of them.
By: Carl Grinde | August 21, 2025
Updated August 27, 2025
The National Association of Ugly Art
It feels like there is an organization called The National Association of Ugly Art - NAUA that often gets to decide when the state buys art. The National Association of Ugly Art, that is. They have been around for a long time and the only thing required to become a member is that you have zero clue about what is fine art. If you have zero clue, that's enough for a membership. It gets a bit difficult when so much ugly art is crowded into public spaces in hospitals, retirement homes, parks, roundabouts, etc.
But not everything is bad. Thank God there is a lot of good art too. Long live beautiful art! By the way, God is the greatest artist who has created the entire world out of nothing. Trees, flowers and animals are works of art created by God.
Sweden's ugliest artwork
When it comes to the title of Sweden's ugliest artwork, there are many who deserve first place. An artwork in a roundabout in Gävle called The Fifth Element and an installation with a crushed wheelbarrow in the escalator building at Sergels Torg share first prize as Sweden's ugliest artwork. It really is that ugly.
A close second is Priapo's Garden with a pink painted car also in a roundabout in Gävle. Absolutely horribly ugly.
A painting hanging at Häradsgården's retirement home in Lit comes in third place.
The Fifth Element in Gävle - Sweden's ugliest artwork tied for first place
Det-Femte-Elementet
Mashed wheelbarrow at Sergelstorg - Sweden's ugliest work of art tied for first place< 
Priapus' garden with pink car in Gävle - Sweden's second ugliest work of art
Priapos trädgård med rosa bil
Painting at Häradsgården Syrenen in Lit - Sweden's third ugliest work of art 
Okay, that was a bit about the first prize winners. Here's some more ugly art from ugly Sweden. When will this end?
Okay, I agree that this whole thing about ugly and fine art is a bit problematic because art can have an important, sometimes difficult message to convey about war, for example, and then it can't be enjoyable or beautiful, but rather shocking or something that arouses sadness. So of course, art has to hurt sometimes. But it's sad if art has to hurt just because it's so ugly and meaningless. Then it's completely worthless. But then again, an ugly child drawing can appear incredibly beautiful to a parent who proudly hangs the drawing on the fridge or maybe frames it and hangs it in the living room. And of course, I've sometimes lied and said: "how nice" just to be nice even though I really thought the opposite. You don't always have to be brutally honest.
But when it comes to public art, you have to be able to set some standards. It's about our experience of the public space and everyone should be able to enjoy it there. I think you should be able to have that few standards for art in public spaces. As it is today, you hang up just about anything. A road sign with the text "Here ends the public road" was valued at 500,000 SEK in the TV program bytt er bytt. Absolutely insane. Another worthless piece of art was a banana that was put up on a wall with duct tape.
google images
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Must have been a work experience programme student. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
If you don't have a headache, you'll get one. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Absolutely creepy 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
So incredibly ugly. I guess it's supposed to be modern? 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
This painting is called "Scary Reflection". I think the title says it all. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Ugly. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Ugly. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit 
Artwork in the Hornstull metro in Stockholm 
Artwork in the Hornstull metro in Stockholm 
Artwork in the Hornstull metro in Stockholm 
Artwork at Östersund Hospital 
Artwork at Östersund Hospital 
Artwork at Mittuniversitetet University in Östersund
Example of sick art. 
Artwork at Mid Sweden University in Östersund
Sick art. 
Artwork at the psychiatric clinic in Östersund
Scary. 
Artwork at the psychiatric clinic in Östersund
If you're not mentally ill before, you'll probably become one. 
Artwork at the psychiatric clinic in Östersund 
Artwork at the psychiatric clinic in Östersund 
Artwork at the psychiatric clinic in Östersund 
Artwork at the psychiatric clinic in Östersund 
Artwork in Örebro 
Artwork at the Solna commuter train station in Stockholm 
Painted house wall in Östersund 
Art work with mashed buckets in the escalator building on Drottninggatan at Sergelstorg in Stockholm
Absolutely low demands on aesthetics. 
Painted plank in Solna
There really is a lot of graffiti that looks better than this crap. 
Decorated wall in Solna
Absolutely low budget. 
Decorated wall in the commuter train station at Odenplan in Stockholm (I think)
Not particularly pretty. 
Painting at the health center in Lugnvik in Östersund 
Incredibly ugly artwork that cost millions
I'm at a loss for words. Should this be called art? I think that trash can sometimes be art if it's done with a twinkle in the eye, with a little finesse. But this lacks all that. This is just trash and nothing else. Why doesn't the municipality just remove it? Sick! It seems to have cost two million, too. I've already chosen Sweden's ugliest artwork, but there are so many other artworks that should also get first prize as Sweden's ugliest.
bulletin.nu
skattebetalarna.se
Draperad poesi is 13 parts artwork in Paradisparken in Borlänge
Roundabout artwork - everything seems legitimate here
You can put up pretty much anything in a roundabout as long as you call it artwork or sculpture. There's so much GARBAGE here.
Swish artwork in roundabout in Borlänge - incredibly ugly
dalademokraten.se
artwork malmö Giant Baby Hylliebadet - sick!
Children's head costs 320,000 kronor a year sydsvenskan.se
Artwork Malmö & Child at Hylliebadet appears to be two works of art with giant heads so grotesque
konstverk malmö &child Hylliebadet
Roundabout artwork "Tribute to Håstabäcken Hudiksvall so ugly"
Hyllning till Håstabäcken Hudiksvall
Roundabout artwork Katrineholm so much trash
rondell konstverk Katrineholm
The Spinn roundabout on Kurverödsleden - ugly
Konstverket Spinn rondellen på Kurverödsleden
The sculpture Decoration blues - so ugly, loud and stressy
gavlekonstcentrum.se
google.com/search
The artwork "Growth power Katrineholm in a roundabout - not pretty
kkuriren.se
Konstverket "Växtkraft Katrineholm i rondell
Openart artwork Örebro - so much ugly stuff
openart konstverk örebro
Fine art
Fine art
Now on to the aesthetically beautiful, the meaningful, appealing and enjoyable art.
We start with roundabouts. In Östersund there are several fine roundabouts. In the middle of them are living works of art created by God, namely trees, bushes and plants. Yes, it is a collaboration between man and God. God creates the seed and man plants and waters. So yes, fine roundabout art doesn't have to be that difficult. It's actually quite simple if you just think in the right way.
Four roundabouts in Östersund
Frösön 
Lillänge 
Tennishallen 
Stuguvägen 
Wall painting in Gävle or Stockholm I think 
Beautiful fountain, I think it was Gävle 
Beautiful sculptures for flowers in Kungsträdgården in Stockholm
Awesome 
Beautiful sculptures for flowers in Kungsträdgården in Stockholm
Awesome 
Beautiful fountain in Kungsträdgården in Stockholm 
The Obelisk with Fountains at Sergelstorg in Stockholm
Nice. 
Decorated floor at the Stockholm Södra commuter train station
Nice 
Decorated wall at the commuter train station in Spånga, Stockholm
Nice 
In Jämtland is "artut" to be. Artut means nice.
Beautiful wall decoration hanging at Häradsgården in Lit 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Very nice. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Very nice. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Very nice. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Very nice. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Very nice. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Very nice. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Very nice. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
A very nice painting, perhaps the finest in the whole of Häradsgården, hanging in the Häggen department. 
Painting at Häradsgården in Lit
Great old fashion art. 
