Opening Speech for Installation "Get it all and more!" (in Swedish)
Channel: James Barrett
Date: 26/04/2015

The idea of "Get it all and more!" is to visualize a new era; the total disappearance of public space in order to let consumption freely expand, without control other than maximized profit. 
Where will this lead? 

Will we trade our right to a free public space, open for all, for a seat in the utopian dream of a free market manifested by casinos, shopping centres & gallerias? What will this non-stop merry-go-round turn the dwellers of the city into? 
Who is allowed to do what in the city when public space is swallowed by corporations?

The 2014 Culture Capital city of Umeå, recently received a new shopping mall named "UTOPIA". Utopia is in "Get it all, and more!" used as an example of the decay of utopian visions in modern society. Several European cities, more and more turn from a public space open to all into a semi-public space, where the ability to consume is the focus. 
What happens when commerce rather than public opinion dictates the shape of the city? 
This piece can be considered as a poetic and subversive hymn, glorifying the fantastic possibilities of a totally free market, beyond any control. Nothing is for free, there are no public spaces, there is only room for maximized consumption.
Welcome to the new vision for Europe.

This installation contains elements of excluding design, interviews, objects, commercials, sound and other items collected in Sweden, Finland, Georgia, Kosovo, Latvia, Estonia, Bosnia-Hercegovina & Germany.


"Get it all, and more!" consists of elements from projects supported by:
Väsby Konsthall
Byggnads Kulturstipendium
European Culture Foundation
Kulturkontakt Nord
Färgfabriken
Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art
Konstnärsnämnden
Arts Promotion Centre in Finland / Ostrobothnia
Sparbanksstiftelsen Norrland
Umeå 2014 Culture Capital of Europe / Culture Boost grant
Kalmar konstmuseum
Svenska Kulturfonden
GeoAIR Residency, Tbilisi, Georgia
Polymer Culture Factory Residency, Tallinn, Estonia
Artist House Pärnu, Estonia
Total Dobze, Riga, Latvia


For past projects by Alte Schweden see:
http://alte-schweden.weebly.com/

Contact: alteschweden@outlook.com