Nacka municipality commissioned art that would reflect "financiers' values"

In early September, Cultural News reported that Nacka municipality introduced comprehensive guidelines for the street art festival Wall street Nacka. The municipal arts festival did not want to be associated with graffiti - and therefore set guidelines that the art should be socially positive, peaceful and respectful.

At that time, the municipality was accused of infringing on artistic freedom and for not taking the principle of arm's length seriously.

Now the Cultural News can show that Nacka municipality already in 2018 similarly tried to control the content of the art. This is at a procurement of three temporary artistic designs at the municipality's upcoming metro stations in Sickla, Järla and Nacka.

In a procurement document that the Cultural News has taken part of, the municipality demands, among other things, that the artworks must "reflect the values ​​of the financiers" and that the logos of construction actors should be incorporated into the works. In addition, the municipality writes that each artistic installation must "contain a subway T in blue and white".

The artists' national organization takes a serious look at the requirements picture that Nacka municipality expresses in the tender documents:

- It is far too much detail control if you want this to be an artistic work, says KRO chairman Sara Edström:

- The fact that the artworks reflect the values ​​of the companies means that it is no longer free art - it is an advertising assignment, she continues.

Artist Katarina Löfström was approached in spring 2018 by Nacka municipality with a request to be part of the project. She immediately declined because she also felt that the procurement documents' requirements undermined artistic freedom, and that it was about advertising - not an artistic design.

In an email to the Cultural News, she describes the municipality's formulations as "deeply problematic".

Henrik Orrje, administrative director of the Swedish Arts Council, agrees with KRO's criticism:

- When it comes to artists reflecting the values ​​that a business has set up, you are in and restrict the artistic freedom, he says.

Of the artistic designs that are subsequently erected, two of them are externally financed by private construction companies. But one of them, a mural at Järla station, has been entirely financed by the municipality of Nacka. No company logs are visible in the final result of the project. However, one of the children at the mural wears a t-shirt with a prominent blue and white subway T.

Both Henrik Orrje at the National Arts Council and Sara Edström at the Artists' National Organization emphasize that there are circumstances that sometimes require public commissioners to make demands on the art they order, for example if works are to be placed in schools or in hospitals.

But, they emphasize: The decisions must be based on objectivity and impartiality - and the principle of arm's length, that is, politicians and officials should not interfere in the content, must be safeguarded.

- This may involve materiality, durability and administrative costs. But when you come in and start limiting the content, you have a very difficult time as a client to restrict the artist's freedom. It is really only if the artwork violates the constitutional freedom of speech as it goes, says Henrik Orrje.

The cultural news has repeatedly sought Nacka municipality for an interview. The municipality has not yet agreed.

Nacka's Director of Culture and Leisure Anders Mebius has responded in writing that this is a misunderstanding and that it has not been a requirement of the municipality that there should be a subway T in the motif of the mural, even though it is in the procurement documents that the Cultural News has shared of.