Malmö city don officially open Master Narratives, di anti-racist monument wey dem build for Falsterboplan. Di inauguration happen on Sunday, 11 October, and e open for public. Residents trooped out for di afternoon event to witness di permanent public artwork.
Two artists, Susanna Marcus Jablonski and Santiago Mostyn, create di work. Di program for di opening include speeches and music, children activities, and sausage grilling. According to Malmö stad, na Falsterboplan di gathering happen, but SVT report say di monument dey Jesusparken. Both reports agree say na Sunday di event hold.
Tarek Borg, department head for Malmö konst, talk say di initiative come from group of Malmö residents. He say e important and natural say dat spirit reflect inside di process all di way to di inauguration. ‘Dis work take root from Malmö history and present, and e carry message for future. We dey very happy say Master Narratives now become part of Malmö collection of public art,’ Tarek Borg talk.
Di monument no just drop from sky. Na result of many years work wey start with initiative from Malmö residents in 2019. Di idea of anti-racist monument come through call where residents ask for such monument, among other things as gathering place to process racist acts wey happen for Malmö between 2003 and 2010. Malmö city political leadership notice di initiative, and e become starting point for project to put monument. Malmö konst develop am in collaboration with Föreningen Antirasistiskt Monument.
Before di permanent work, project include lectures, public conversations, and temporary public artworks under ‘Hela staden är ett monument.’ Now di final permanent work, Master Narratives, don stand.
Master Narratives take im starting point from questions about racism, anti-racism and collective memories. Di title come from ‘The Master Narrative,’ one dominant story wey dey affect how people understand reality. Through di title, di artists push di possibility of many parallel stories and perspectives.
Di work get two parts: sculptural and social. Di sculptural part na monumental stone block wey nearly two hundred bronze rods dey carry. Di social part grow through memory collection where Malmö residents anonymously share experiences, thoughts and memories connected to racism and anti-racism. Dem no put di collected material where eye go see am. Dem place am inside ground under di monument, and e become part of di foundation.
Susanna Marcus Jablonski and Santiago Mostyn talk say: ‘To see so many Malmö residents engage during di months wey we collect personal notes give life to di whole project. Now when we finally raise di physical monument, e feel like act of solidarity wey hopefully go live on long after us.’
Di design of di monument don cause debate. Susanna Marcus Jablonski welcome dat one. She talk: ‘E good and fine say people get opinions, and feel say dem fit get opinions about wetin dey happen for public space.’ For video, di two artists explain why di monument look di way e look.
SVT report say di idea for di anti-racist monument start in 2019, and di initiators want recognition of racist motives behind series shooter Peter Mangs deeds during 00s. Skånes Folkblad talk to Santiago Mostyn, one of di artists. He describe di monument collective power and di grief process behind am.
As part of di work, Malmö konst and Pedagogisk Inspiration for grundskoleförvaltningen, together with educators and pupils, develop educational material for preschool, primary school and gymnasium. Di material get lesson plans wey use di work as starting point for conversations about racism and anti-racism, democracy, rights and common memories. Schools fit also book tours of Master Narratives, with follow-up conversations about public art, anti-racism, and which stories get space for public room.
Malmö konst na di city operation for public art. Dem get mandate to create chances for people to meet art for dia everyday life. Dem dey commission new artworks for city common environments and dey manage, develop and mediate public art for Malmö.
