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IZZA Marrakech, a boutique hotel where architecture, contemporary art, and cultural collaboration redefine sustainable hospitality in the heart of the Medina
ISSUE NO. 31
Tucked away in “a little corner of Malmö,” The Cowgirl Gallery is a vibrant and evolving cultural hub. Housed in a 1930s brick building with large windows and a distinctive black-and-white checkered floor, the gallery is more than a place to view art. It is a space where exhibitions meet live music, coffee is brewed and enjoyed, and people come together to work, collaborate, and connect. “It’s so many different things in one place,” explains Wiking.
Founded in 2021 as “a meeting place for culture and art,” The Cowgirl Gallery remains true to its mission of inclusivity. The audience? Everyone: from young queer creatives to middle-aged professionals and retirees. “By excluding groups, you also exclude the conversation about art and close the door into the next room,” Wiking explains. “For me, it’s not about what you’re carrying with you, or what you’re used to seeing, but what you’re interested in, and why.”
With art exhibitions, live performances, poetry readings, a cinema club, and a coffee shop running throughout the week, The Cowgirl Gallery is a place in constant motion—and Wiking is the force behind it all.
Wiking wears many hats at The Cowgirl Gallery: owner, curator, barista, shop assistant, communications officer, graphic designer, and ticket manager—just to name a few. Though she single-handedly runs the space, community support remains integral. Friends volunteer, and financial backing from cultural organizations has helped keep the doors open.
“It’s exhausting, but it’s fun,” she says. “I get inspired every day by the people who walk in. I have my own space where I can change things whenever I want. If someone has an idea, I don’t have to ask permission—I can just say, ‘Yes, let’s collaborate.'”
Originally a milk store, the gallery’s compact space requires constant transformation. It must accommodate exhibitions, performances, and everyday visitors, which influences how Wiking curates the space. “People sit in the gallery surrounded by the art, so I have to consider how the work interacts with them. Large sculptures would make seating difficult. The sound can’t be overwhelming; the space needs to feel open and inviting. Everything must be mobile so I can move it when necessary.”
The Cowgirl Gallery’s bold graphic design reflects Wiking’s fascination with western visual culture. “The name ‘Cowgirl’ was catchy, connected to the site’s history, and played into my interest in western aesthetics.” When it first opened, Wiking fully embraced the cowgirl persona, even donning cowboy boots. Though the look has evolved, the spirit remains.
Visually, The Cowgirl Gallery balances clarity and playfulness. “My taste has always leaned toward modern, strong fonts like Helvetica, with bright colors. It can be messy, but the foundation is stable.”
At the heart of The Cowgirl Gallery’s ethos is accessibility. Even the unlicensed benches outside—technically unauthorized—serve as an extension of the gallery’s mission. “If it’s closed, it’s still open, because you can sit there. If it’s open, you have a bench. Nothing in life is free, but a bench is.”
These benches highlight the gallery’s deep connection to Malmö, a city where affordability and cultural vibrancy make such a space possible. “Malmö is open,” Wiking says. “It’s rich in music and art, people and food. That makes it easier to open a space where everyone can be.”
Despite Malmö’s cultural wealth, Wiking notes a gap: “We have no dedicated magazine store here.” Inspired by this, she launched The Cowgirl Magazine Store two years after opening the gallery.
“Magazines help inspire people. They expose you to perspectives beyond your own. There are many artists I can’t exhibit because I can only show one at a time. But magazines contain thousands of voices and ideas. That’s why they’re so important.”
Before opening the store, Wiking stocked The Cowgirl Gallery with books and magazines from her personal library, ensuring visitors had access to alternative perspectives. “I want people to get inspired,” she says.
Wiking never planned to stay in Malmö. She was set to move to Berlin to work in graphic design when she stumbled across the gallery space and decided to take a chance. “When the idea came, I followed it. And it still carries me today.”
Even as the gallery continues to evolve, the core remains the same: a space for gathering, sharing, and creating. “That sense of responsibility fuels me,” Wiking says. “It just puts wood on my fire.”
To maintain the gallery’s momentum, Wiking takes a summer break each year, stepping back to recharge. “Whether it’s painting, photography, graphic design, or performance art, I think you can never have enough spaces showing artists. My favorite places—where I get energy and inspiration—are always galleries, cinemas, or libraries.”
Founded in 2021, The Cowgirl Gallery remains a vital part of Malmö’s cultural landscape. A gallery, a magazine store, a café, and a community hub, it is a place that invites everyone to be part of the conversation—free to enter, free to stay.
ISSUE NO. 31
Lampoon is a cultural magazine.
Culture today means sustainability – in its honest meaning.
Culture has always been about human respect, tolerance. It’s not only about accepting human diversity but it’s about searching for the beauty of every human peculiarity.
Inclusion is the first value that defines art. Culture today means one thing only: to be part of a community, to think as a community.
Reading Lampoon, you see that these themes are smoothly aligned. A good part of the articles’ content discusses practices to restore our environment and stories about understanding the others.
Reading Lampoon, you find a dialogue between science and creativity. From sharp and edgy photo sessions to fashion, architecture, technology – the commitment is dedicated to a future that is all about us – together.
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