Lisa Torell

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Scene 2 and Scene 3, Litter-Picking activities
(2023)

Images from the public commission for the project Överraska, variera och förändra by Jönköping municipality. It included two art assignments where I got the performative, temporary assignment. The purpose of the project was to test the possibilities for public art in Jönköping municipality in relation to the Urban Environment Program ‘City Art’.


Based on Jönköping municipality as a location also a hub for transportation and infrastructure, I chose to focus on the rest areas intended for commercial traffic and professional drivers. The starting point for me throughout the project has been an interest in aesthetics and care and equal opportunities in public space.The rest areas play a vital role within the gig economy and infrastructure, supporting the flow of goods and the safety of drivers. Rest areas intended for commercial traffic and professional drivers. The planning of these spaces balances accessibility, practical necessity, and the imperative to reduce fatal accidents.

Through the project I have worked with Rasta in Ödeshög, Gyllene uttern, and Circle K in Bottnaryd. The images here are from LogPoint South, Hyltena.

Apart from the parking lots, there was usually nothing organized for the drivers - no sidewalks, pavement markings or seating. The feeling was that here access is at your own risk. It was evident that the drivers—the true protagonists of these rest areas —were largely invisible in the political vision plans for new cargo terminals, and revealed a striking disconnect between abstract political ideas and the lived realities of those who depend on these spaces.


I knew with once, as soon as the project started that I needed to find an action that allowed me to both blend in and stand out as an odd element. Apart from the parking lots, there was usually nothing organized for the drivers - no sidewalks, pavement markings or seating. The feeling was that here access is at your own risk. It was evident that the drivers—the true protagonists of these rest areas—were largely invisible in the political vision plans for new cargo terminals, and revealed a striking disconnect between abstract political ideas and the lived realities of those who depend on these spaces.

The litter-picking activity felt like the most natural activity in this context, given the extreme amount of waste in these areas. I purchased reflectivce clothing, litter pickers, and garbage bags to be able to carry out the work. During the research I notice that on most of those areas there was nothing, not even a bench and usually not toilets, just an asphalt surface. Moving through these vast areas with large, visible filming equipment felt risky. These are sprawling asphalt expanses where 15 to 200 trucks are parked and reloaded. Being a person without a vehicle in such spaces felt fragile and vulnerable —you feel small and exposed in these vast, unprotected environments.

The body is a tool for greater understanding. The more senses we engage in an experience, the faster and deeper our comprehension becomes. Using physical body movement as a tool, I sought to bridge this gap and inspire change. My idea was to invite stakeholders— those responsible for these spaces—into a dialog with the site and its overlooked realities.

Together, through those litter-picking activities we would physically engage with the rest areas, to hopefully develop a deeper, embodied understanding of them and anchoring an awareness of the drivers’ challenges. I have been in contact with everyone from drivers, to the Transport Union’s various actors, the Swedish Traffic Administration, middle managers at Circle K, municipal ecologists, environmental activists, free driving spirits and police officers. In an hour we filled ten garbage bags with rubbish and more than 20 pet bottles filled with urine, which speaks its clear language. Neither the work environment nor the rest area itself felt cared for or pleasant. The drivers we met simply said they wanted somewhere to sit and said laughing that some Christmas decorations would have been nice.

The whole project have engaged both invited and temporary audiences. (The American artist Suzanne Lacy’s audience map is a helpful reference for understanding the range of audiences and their roles in this work.)

Over the years, my work has been expressed in various forms, including Scenes 2022-2023 a film and installation at Jönköping's City Library, the performance Redlisted Societal Function #1, performative actions such as Scene 2, 3 Litter-Picking activites, and a permanent installation Redlisted Societal Function #2 at the sites.

Överraska, variera och förändra >

Scenes 2022-2023 >

Scene 2, 3 Litter-Picking activites >

Redlisted Societal Function #2 >

Redlisted Societal Function #1 >

Assistance:
Olle Helin >
Damla Kilickiran (film) >

Drone:
Palle Linqvist >


Project leader:
Åsa-Viktoria Wihlborg | ArtPlatform >


Jönköping municipality's description of project >

Special thanks to Amir Faqiris (Keep Jönköping Clean), Tommy Jonsson (Transport) and Eva-Karin Andén, Filip Zezovski Lind, (Jönköping municipality).

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