Kiruna Forever

Kiruna, a city in the northernmost part of Sweden, is experiencing one of the biggest urban transformation projects in recent Swedish history. The city centre is being relocated three kilometres northeast due to the expansion of the mine around which Kiruna was built. A third of the city population must relocate, housing blocks and landmark buildings are being demolished or moved, and a new city is starting to take shape. But how do you move a city?

Kiruna Forever examines the ongoing relocation and features over 100 works by architects, urban planners, and artists who have transformed the city and addressed challenges facing the region from the first industrial settlements, today, and into the future.

The ongoing relocation of the city of Kiruna confronts us with critical issues of global relevance. What is the limit of natural resources? What happens to residents' sense of identity and security when their homes are demolished? How do we define the value of our cultural heritage and its preservation when buildings are at risk? How does the relocation affect indigenous population's ways of life? What timeframes do we design our cities for?

Kiruna Forever is an exhibition by ArkDes in collaboration with Kiruna Municipality and Konstmuseet i Norr, Norrbotten’s County Art Museum, located in Kiruna. Together with Konstmuseet i Norr, ArkDes has commissioned five new projects that consider alternative tools for a city in transition. These will be presented simultaneously in Kiruna and Stockholm over the period of the exhibition.

This exhibition is curated by Carlos Mínguez Carrasco with Sujy Lee (Assistant Curator) and produced by Johanna Fogel, with exhibition design by Pernilla Ohrstedt and graphic design by Magdalena Czarnecki.