About “PJ Carlsson’s Bildhuggeri - Accessing cultural heritage”

The project “PJ Carlsson’s Bildhuggeri - Accessing cultural heritage takes its starting point from a wood-workshop which was opened by PJ Carlsson in the beginning of the 1900s in the town of Tranås. Over the years the workshop gradually became a hub for local artists, musicians and craftspeople. The workshop was closed in 1982 and the premises have remained untouched ever since, only used occasionally for some activities, the site is completely unknown to the younger generation in Tranås.

Almost forty years since its closure the place is still preserved in its present condition thanks to the protection of the Tranås munipality together with the wishes of the building’s previous owner Lars Gärskog. The workshop appears almost frozen in time with outdated working tools and the silence that surrounds it. It also remains surprisingly unknown to the local community even though it is quite easy to visit the place

The project focuses on new ways of engaging with local history and cultural heritage, and functions as a tool for reinterpreting our understanding of local history and heritage in order to attract a younger and intercultural audience and other local communities. Through artistic and intercultural exchanges, experimental research, artworks and exhibitions we want to develop a method which can activate forgotten parts of the towns cultural heritage and make them relevant to new audiences. This method will be documented and made accessible and shared as a source for further project development.

Pj Carlsson’s Bildhuggeri aims to, include the youth and the non Swedish communities in Tranas, with the help of guided tours, workshops and public lectures and through visual, site specific and digital works. Since its theme is based on local history it aims to create a familiar, accessible ground to discuss the modern day Tranas society. It is also planned to show artworks on site and make the workshop accessible to people and create a sense of curiosity and wonder for young people informing then on the recent debates on site/splace/place.

Artists:
- Frank Bergsten
- Laura Bıanco
- Åsa Sterna
Curated by Seher Uysal