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Of Cats and Canary Birds: Statement in Support of Lunds Konsthall

 
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Sture Johannesson, Revolution Means Revolutionary Consciousness!, 1968, 62 x 85 cm. Lund Konsthall, Underground I — a.k.a. “Hash Girl”. Lithography printed by Permild & Rosengreen Copenhagen.

It has come to our attention that Lunds konsthall in Sweden is threatened with closure since local politicians called for its "reconstruction". They want to "change and modernise activities, to suit the needs of the City of Lund today and tomorrow". In the Swedish media, these politicians have spoken of "creating more interactive activities for young audiences".

As directors of the European institutions in L'Internationale confederation, we want to express our concerns about this. Cultural policy involves different axes of responsibility. There is the tension between culture at large, on one hand, and societal development as articulated by the arts, on the other. Both poles are important. Another axis is the tension between the local and the international. Politicians have responsibilities towards the constituency they represent, on a limited territory. But that responsibility always also includes a wider space of exchange, on various levels. What does a country, a city, have to offer to the outside world?