And We Are Everywhere
June 2, 2018–March 31, 2019
Lund Cathedral has commissioned a major new artwork by internationally renowned British artist Nathan Coley. The work, entitled And We Are Everywhere, was launched in Lund, Sweden, on June 2, 2018 and remains onsite until March 2019.
And We Are Everywhere is the first artwork to be commissioned for the Church’s land in Brunnshög, an area on the edge of Lund which is a key part of the city’s ambitious plans for expansion. Sited within a rural landscape, the sculpture addresses fundamental issues at stake in both the Church’s development and 21st century life: the ways in which faith and belief systems become manifest; the role of the Church; and the drive for each of us to find a place in the world. It is a bold and poetic contribution to the narrative which begs a series of questions: Who has made this? Is it a church? With whose authority has it been built?
The character of the work is temporary, ramshackle and seemingly unauthored. In direct contrast to Lund Cathedral, it takes the form of a hastily made place of worship that has no official status and can be easily destroyed. However, the attention to detail and evident care with which it has been constructed references basic human actions, humility and the art of ‘making-do’.
The title forces us to ask “Who is ‘we’?” Is it the Church, humankind, or people with no homeland? The ‘everywhere’ evokes a spatial relationship to the land which could encompass Brunnshög, Lund, Sweden, the world. While being inherently linked to the soil upon which it sits, the sculpture speaks to a universal audience.
The commission is part of the Råängen programme, established by Lund Cathedral in 2017 with White Arkitekter and independent curator Jes Fernie. The programme is a platform for discussion about how the Church’s land is developed in Brunnshög. In spring 2019, Norwegian architects Brendeland & Kristoffersen will launch a public garden, and over the next three years a programme of public events, talks and seminars will take place with international participants approaching the subjects of time, land, money, ownership and belief systems.
Curated by Jes Fernie
Contact Jes Fernie with any questions: jes [at] jesfernie.com
