FACES: BORÅS 400 ÅR

As Borås celebrates its 400 year anniversary, we asked ourselves: “Who is the face of the city?”.

We live in unprecedented times with technology that connects us both physically and virtually in an instant with all corners of the globe. The anniversary gave us a reason to look back at what came before, but an even stronger reason to imagine what lies ahead.

Artscape’s contribution to the festivities came to blend something very traditional with something very contemporary. A traditional bust sculpture is remixed by adding a smartphone, held in front of the face in a pose that today is instantly recognisable – someone accessing the world through a handheld digital device. The image dates the artwork and places it firmly in our immediate times. It’s the 2020s and all citizens of Borås are now also citizens of the world.

We asked a broad selection of urban artists to help us give life to the anonymous head. Taking inspiration from the anniversary and looking ahead to the coming 400 year. Who and how will they portray the Boråsian of the future? A projector mounted in the smartphone projected each artist’s unique vision onto the sculpture, giving it a face and an ephemeral identity.

We also asked the people of Borås to contribute, giving everyone a chance to showcase their own face of the city through art!