This week, the Järfälla municipality presented its new artwork Bollop – Between Heaven and Earth. It consists of twelve stacked balls in various colors, which are said to put the location on the map. However, spending 860,000 kronor of taxpayers’ money on this type of artwork is far from being seen as a good idea by everyone.
According to the municipality, the artwork is Söderhöjden’s first sculpture and was created by Camilla Lothigius, an artist “known for her playful and poetic interpretations that often explore the relationship between people, movement, and space.”
– We are happy that the artwork is now in place and hope that Järfälla residents will find it exciting and be proud of it. With its clear expression and cheerful colors, it will also be a good marker for Huset på höjden, which I know many find difficult to locate, says Järfälla’s cultural director Agneta Danielsson.
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The official unveiling will take place on Saturday, March 28, in connection with the cultural center Huset på höjden’s family Saturday. They promise “a day when the entire house is filled with creativity, play, and new experiences,” and during the ceremony there will be “festive elements with speeches, poems, and dancing that together give life to the artwork and celebrate its new home in Järfälla’s cultural landscape.”
“Shame on Järfälla’s politicians!”
When the municipality announced the presentation on social media earlier this week, residents’ responses were not quite so enthusiastic.
Some of the most highlighted comments:
“Why waste money on something unnecessary when the municipality has a tight budget and cannot invest in essential things?”
“Apparently, the artwork is there so people can find Huset på höjden. If you have to spend nearly SEK 1 million on a signpost, then the whole operation should be reconsidered. People obviously aren’t that interested if they can’t even be bothered to find it.”
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“Yeah, but that’s so much smarter than using that amount for nursing homes, homeless, sick people like disability and old age pensioners… There is never money for those who need it. But for ‘artworks’ there is.”
“Disgusting to spend so much money on this crap. There are lots of other things the municipality needs to prioritize. Shame on Järfälla’s politicians!”
“My God, how irresponsible!! The children in Järfälla’s schools need adequate teaching with qualified teachers and special educators, and you choose to spend money on this crap.”
Another assessment comes from Fredrik Grufman (MED), who calls the artwork “municipal anal beads”:
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