Open call for artists: Chronotopia: Centralen and Olskroken

The Public Art Agency Sweden and the Swedish Transport Administration invites artists to participate in the international competition for one of Gothenburg’s largest construction projects ever: the new subterranean railroad with three new stations in the West Link and a series of bridges in the area of Olskroken. The scope of this open call is the Central Station and the area of Olskroken.

The overall curatorial focus for the West Link and Olskroken is the concept of Chronotopia (from the Greek words chronos—time—and topos—place). Chronotopia proposes an investigation of the present, a review of the value of the past, and a look into the potential of the future, with an interest in site-specific explorations. A complex network of identity, heritage and relations to a globalised world can be examined from artistic perspectives and expressed in the city’s public spaces.

What are the implications of these new vertical layers and the access to new horizontal connections between places? Descending into the underground involves a potential shift in perspective, where the taken for granted bonds with the local community are lost, and a desire for new connections can arise.

The first stage is a call for entries. Applicants are requested to submit their portfolio and CV and to fill in the entry form. Among the received entries, six artists will be shortlisted to participate in the competition. The selected artists will receive SEK 150,000 excluding VAT (approximately EUR 16,000) to develop a draft project proposal. 

At least two artists will be selected to implement their proposals in Gothenburg. The process involves a close dialogue with architects and engineers. The preliminary budget for the artistic design of the two sites is SEK 8-9 million (approximately EUR 920,000).

Applications must be submitted no later than April 27, 2016 (latest 12pm, local time Sweden). 

For further information and competition rules, please refer to: www.statenskonstrad.se