Meira Ahmemulic’s video installation is shown in an old Million program flat in Stoeryd. Two videos accompanying each other shows the artist commenting on issues of race, class, immigration and employment in Sweden. Growing up as a young woman in the different million program flats in Halmstad, Angered, Biskopsgården, Bergsjön and Andersberg, Ahmemulic as an artist is always fascinated by the misconceptions and misunderstandings surrounding places like Stoeryd as well as the harsh segregation coming from the society.
During her stay in Tranas the artist was commissioned to create an installation on her research and experience of Stoeryd. Her work was exhibited in Beckhemsvägen 10, Tranås on 19 and 20th of October between 10:30-15:00. The work is a narration on the difficulties of adapting to a new culture, society and language in Sweden. Those difficulties still exist today while people from all parts of the world are dynamically moving around and change places.
“There’s this idea that it is a suburb consisting of concrete, when in fact most of these areas, just like Stoeryd in Tranås, are planned in relation to nature, forests and lakes. Stoeryd is a fantastic neighborhood to grow up in. In between buildings there are huge spaces where children can play, there are parks, here there is even a swimming pool and no cars are allowed. Even so the architecture is very often described as a failure. It seems as if there is no alternative way to talk about these neighborhoods. But it’s a big misconception that includes a lot of things.” Meira Ahmemulic states.
As we watch the artist perform, she slowly wipes the dust and dirt off the floor and a semi fictional narration unfolds. The realities of everyday life which are often ignored and put aside are now vocalized by different characters in the video as the artists attempts to illustrate an ordinary conversation or an ordinary moment of everyday life inside a Million program house like Stoeryd.
