Response to Alfredo Jaar ‘The Skoghall Konsthall’

Skoghall is a small town located on the island of Hammarö in west central Sweden. The town’s paper mill is the largest employer in the locality. In 2000, Chilean artist Alfredo Jaar was invited by Skoghall to produce a piece of public art for the community. Jaar is internationally recognised for his politically driven work that often presents the audience with current controversial concepts to digest. When Jaar experienced Skoghall what he felt compelled by the most was the lack of provision of culture. Skaghall did not have any form of homage to artistic practice or expression, nor that of any public academic stimulants. Therefore to combat this drought Jaar decided that would be the subject of his public art to the community.

As the main employer of the population, Jaar asked the Skoghall Mill to fund the project by providing the production’s material. Jaar erected a temporary paper museum to show Skoghall the importance of cultural provision within society. Jaar proposed that once the museum was complete it was to be burnt down to reflect the enormity of this educational absence. The town nor mill were not happy with Jaar’s proposal but due to his international status and exposure gained by such a spectacle of an event, agreed to let Jaar fulfil his desire.

I think this piece of work is fascinating on many levels. The design of space, incorporated by the use of paper as a building material created a physical presence with what I imagine to be a disposable sensation. I find that also the determination to finish the work by burning it to the ground was completely appropriate because experiencing the town’s anguish with the event reinforced their cry for culture. The work created a unified community strengthened by their concern to accept and achieve Jaar’s controversial proposal. Jaar’s work was not static; a main issue surrounding taste in public art is their concrete aesthetics that may reflect the general consensus. However the white paper exterior, linked with the funding by the paper mill did mirror the life force of Skaghall and claimed the identity of the location. Successful Public Art makes the audience aware of what is already there, or in Skoghall’s case, what is not there.