Kiruna Forever

Kiruna is experiencing one of the biggest urban transformation projects in recent history. The city is being relocated by three kilometres due to the expansion of a mine, around which Kiruna was built. A third of the population must relocate, housing blocks and landmark buildings are being demolished or moved, and a new city is taking shape. But how do you move a city?

Kiruna Forever examines the ongoing relocation of the city of Kiruna. It features over a hundred works by architects, urban planners and artists who have transformed the community and addressed the challenges facing the the region from the first industrial settlements, today, and into the future.

Putting the relocation of Kiruna into a historical and geographical context, the exhibition reflects on the questions that such a complex project raises. What is the limit of natural resources? What happens to residents’ identity and security when their homes are demolished?  How do we decide whether cultural heritage should be preserved or sacrificed? How does a relocation of this scale affect the lives of the Indigenous population: the Sámi? Ultimately, how permanent are the cities that we live in?

The exhibition includes a full-scale reconstruction of Kiruna City Hall, demolished in 2019, as well as a large scale model animated by Studio Folder ↗.