Move Sirdde Flytta – New book about urban transformations

As a result of the industrial transition, the city of Kiruna in the far northern parts of Sweden is undergoing a significant transformation that brings to the fore questions about our living environments and the importance of a vibrant artistic and cultural life. With the project I Händelsernas Centrum ("At the Center of Events"), presented as a part of the 2024 edition of Luleåbiennalen, Konstfrämjandet Norrbotten explores how collective thinking and creation can contribute to positive changes in our public spaces.

In addition to three new artworks in the public space, the project consists of a collaboration with the Child Culture Design Master's Programme at the University of Design and Crafts (HDK-Valand). Together with the students from HDK, educational and co-creative activities were carried out during the spring of 2024 together with children in Kiruna. Finally, one of the students, Aria Lee, also produced a children's book, based on dialogue and experiences from the workshops.

In the book Move Sirdde Flytta the reader gets to follow a hare whose mother works with those moving the city of Kiruna. However, the little hare does not want to move, even though the hole from the mine is only growing.

The book functions as a documentation of the project and is based on thoughts and feelings shared by the children who participated in the the project activities. Move Sirdde Flytta was distributed to all 4- and 5-year-olds in Kiruna municipality in autumn 2024 , as well as all pre-school departments.

The conversations about the urban transformation and other changes in Kiruna have taken place in Sami, Swedish and English, which is reflected in the book's translations. The observant reader can also find depictions of the two play sculptures produced as part of the project, Andan and Moving Objects, in the book.

You can read the entire book online here.

Read more about the project I Händelsernas Centrum here.

Supported by

I Händelsernas Centrum is carried out with the support of the European Union, the Swedish Board of Agriculture, Leader Tornedalen 2030, Kiruna municipality and LKAB.