In the fall of 2010, I received Rebell's Inner Peace prize for my work with Love Tensta. See the jury´s motivation and my thank you-speech here.
Client: Three bright Tensta boys to begin with, later on a broad network of thinkers, including myself.
My role: Art Director, Designer, Communication Strategist, PR consultant, Copywriter, Visionary and more.
What: Logo, website, copywriting, business cards, event planning, press releases, communication strategy and video editing for Facebook campaign, posters, event concept and planning.
Challenge: Communicating a clear vision and bold ideas about integration, “the projects” (förorten) and Swedishness in a way that inspires and is understood by new Swedes, old Swedes, rich Swedes, poor Swedes… Breaking through deep barriers of “them and us”, old associations and defense mechanisms, and communicating an empowering vision for a more loving, just and open Sweden.
Result: “Sweden´s first hope agency”, a network and a think tank based in Tensta! A website that presents “the projects” with pride, hopefulness and energy. A visual expression through all graphic material that combines the colors of Sweden with Muslim and Asian patterns, thus integrating “classic Sweden” and immigrant influences in a new and unexpected mix that presents the public with a visual vision of what the projects have to offer all of Sweden. A ten point manifesto where a bold vision is laid out for Tensta as well as for Sweden, based upon what Tensta has the capacity to be, and what the experiences and the perspectives of people living in an area like Tensta can do for Sweden.
Read more about our event at Tensta Konsthall and our campaign for Guleed Mohamed to become the new Director of Tensta Konsthall below.
Inspiration: Guleed, Faid, Suleiman and their rich network of socially engaged individuals, the population of Tensta, my family, the Swedish colors, Muslim patterns, Chinese patterns, the huge wall painting in Tensta where the Swedish flag forms the basis and the background for a tree with branches of different flags, revolutionary campaign posters, the Obama campaign, the people I met in Atlanta who taught me sky is the limit.
Background (for non-Swedes): Tensta is an area is Stockholm with a high immigrant population, high unemployment and a general image of being a “problem area” in terms of crime etc. Stockholm is currently one of the most segregated cities in Europe, with socioeconomic status differing accordingly.
Press links (all in Swedish):
DN Insidan
Segregationstribunalen på Kägelbanan
Willy Silberstein om Love Tensta i P1
Gefle Dagblad
Biblioteksbladet s.12-13
TV 4
P3 Planet
P3 Nyheter
Epstein i P1
SR International
CITY löpsedel
CITY artikel 1 s. 11-13
CITY artikel 2
P1 Studio 1
Falukuriren
Mitt i Tensta Rinkeby
DN På Stans Stockholmshjältar (Guleed nr 7 på listan)
Logo and Pattern
Business Cards
Website
National Day Celebration in Tensta
On June 6th 2010, Love Tensta presented the ten point manifesto for integration, in combination with a celebration of the National Day.
We filled Tensta Konsthall with Swedish flags (rarely seen in this area) and gave out “Swedish souvenirs” to all visitors (as a way of reclaiming the Swedish symbols that are normally not associated with this area). We also combined lectures about integration and nationalism with entertainers like Adam Tensta, and left room for both serious questioning of society and new visions (thru spoken word poets like Aladin Zakholi and Dunderdan) and a final singing of the Swedish National Anthem.
Read former Director of Tensta Konsthall William Easton´s blog entry about the event here.
All pictures below taken by Caro Johansson Oviedo.
Campaign for Guleed Mohamed as new Director for Tensta Konsthall
In the fall of 2010, Guleed Mohamed and myself put together a Facebook campaign for Guleed running for the new Director of Tensta Konsthall – the internationally renowned local art centre in Tensta.
The campaign ran for a couple of months, and focused on what a young, local guy with no art degree but big visions and an inclusive approach has to offer an art world that many perceive as boring, elitist or non relevant. Our aim was to raise questions about who has the right to define and value art, and inspire new visions of an art world that gives hope, includes all aspects of life, and invites perspectives that are missing today.
We received widespread coverage in national media (see press links above) and a lot of positive feedback on our ideas.
Visit the ATLxSTHLM page to read more about a current project of mine that in thought and vision is a direct offspring of ideas developed during and after this campaign.
