Seed Exchange Day at Søbygaard - kopi
Søbygaard celebrates the start of the 2026 season with the opening of three exciting new exhibitions, an opening reception, a ceremony at the drawbridge, and other festivities.
Season 2026 at Søbygaard
Søbygaard opens for another season at Ærø’s most beautifully located cultural and visitor centre on Sunday, April 26, 2026.
Admission is free throughout the day, with access to exhibitions and activities. Everyone is invited to join the opening reception and exhibition openings at 13:00.
13:00
- Reception, opening speech, and light refreshments
- The traditional raising of the drawbridge to the Hunting Lodge
13:30
- Opening of the exhibition “ÆRØ ARCHIVE – 16 New Portraits”
- Opening of the exhibition “The Transformation of Søbygaard”
- Opening of the exhibition “Things That Speak”
14:00
- Opening concert in the hall
Exhibition: The Transformation of Søbygaard
Explore the development and transformation of Søbygaard from 1580, when it was established as the hunting lodge of Hans the Younger, through periods when the buildings fell into disuse and became overgrown, to its restoration and rebirth as a cultural destination on Ærø. Through photographs, texts, drawings, and personal accounts, the exhibition presents the cultural and historical significance of Søbygaard in an engaging and accessible way.
Exhibition: ÆRØ ARCHIVE – 16 New Portraits
Photographer Mali Lazell has created 16 new portraits for the ÆRØ ARCHIVE — a snapshot of island life today. Together with 14 portraits from 2025, they form the beginning of Søbygaard’s unique archive exploring the cultural DNA of Ærø. The portraits are brought to life through poetic texts and an atmospheric sound installation.
Exhibition: Things That Speak
In the atmospheric cellar of the hunting lodge, the electroacoustic sound work “Things That Speak” by the Ærø-based composer and sound artist Mads Bech Paluszewski-Hau unfolds. The work was created for Søbygaard as part of UNESCO Geopark Det Sydfynske Øhav. The installation is based on everyday objects collected on Ærø. These objects are used as sound sources and resonant bodies, exploring the traces everyday life leaves behind — and what they can tell us about life on the island today.
Season 2026 at Søbygard: April 26 to October 18 2026