ABC Stad
Art project: ABC STAD, Sjöbo, Borås, Sweden
Project proposal, commissioned by Art Agency Sweden & Borås Konstmuseum, 2019/20
Context
Context Sjöbo is a suburban neighbourhood of Borås, the city which is known as the centre of Swedish textile industry. Sjöbo has been planned in the 1930 as an “ABC – stad” and as the biggest housing project in Borås, for 12.000 inhabitants. However, most of the buildings including Sjöbo torget has been built after the 2nd WW in the optimistic 50ties. Many of Sjöbo first inhabitants were not Swedish but coming from Finland to work in the textile industry in Sweden. Sjöbo is a quiet place situated close to nature (lake: Öresjö) and recreation areas. However, home for over 40 different nationalities, old and young, individuals and families coming from many different parts of the world. The biggest group of inhabitants is from 20 – 29 years old, young adults, on one hand and on the other there is a big group of pensioners living in Sjöbo as well. The two age groups have very different lifestyle, cultural background, and habits which occasionally cause rupture and misunderstandings. The unemployment rates these days in Sjöbo is higher than in Borås in total. In 2016 there were 5,545 homes in Sjöbo. Of these, 38 percent were tenancies, 49 percent condominiums and 13 percent property rights in the form of single-family homes and special housing. Sjöbo has many small apartments which explains the high amount of people living in a single household. At the same time the statistics talks about a surprisingly high percentage of people suffering for depression and feeling of loneliness. Results of my research period in Sjöbo are presented within a visual material attached to this document. I have mainly been visiting Sjöbo from October 2019 to February 2020, during the winter months. Therefore, is my observation and description of the place as being quiet and empty, quite grim, dark and a bit run down. Not much is happening in Sjöbo, it seems as a very sleepy place. And indeed, most of the working population nowadays work outside of Sjöbo coming to Sjöbo to sleep. The idea of “ABC stad” is definitely not present in Sjöbo anymore or maybe it has never been. However, there is a formal concept and accordingly designed spaces for living, work and suitable central functions that should serve to Sjöbo inhabitants, but they might be run down or closed (example: cinema Olympia). Today we only find NETTO supermarket, a pharmacy, small corner shop, the hairdresser who is mostly closed as well as the Thai massage place and Pizzeria besides few other quite hidden shops and services places scattered within the neighbourhood. However, there is many social offices of a different kind offering help and consultations to Sjöbo inhabitants. There are only tree citizens’ associations registered in Sjöbo. Which also gives an idea that people in Sjöbo today are quite passive and not really being able, or not interested to self-organize themselves into various interest communities. In 2018 “Medborgarlabet” open its space on Sjöbo Torget as part of “Kraftsamling Sjöbo” project which aims to develop Sjöbo “into an attractive and prosperous area that is buzzing with positive initiatives with a rich cultural and leisure activities”. However, it takes time and strong presence of engaged people who can activate and connect with Sjöbo inhabitants. There have been several initiatives organized by “Medborgarlabet”, which is a starting point for creating a change that will be on the long run beneficial for Sjöbo inhabitants if those activities manage to sustain itself and even expand further on.