VISIT KOPPARBERG

(2014) PHOTOGRAPHY

A mockumentary photo essay about an average Swedish family who abandoned their hometown in search of a mainstream conformist personality.

Sometimesbladet: «These archive photos of the Johanson family were found in the basement of the abandoned house in Kopparberg, Central Sweden, between Oslo and Stockholm. This city arose near the copper mine, which used to be prosperous and went into decline after the mines closed. You cannot find a job here except at the brewery. Syrian refugees are delivered by buses here, but people are afraid to leave because of the highest percentage of the right-wing electorate inhabiting this area. Locals leave, abandoning their houses. In half a year, the homes are invaded and robbed.

So as not to leave this depressed area in total degradation, the government came up with the Operahouse building. It can be proud of the best performances, but the public arrives in full evening wear and prefers to stay overnight in a first-class compartment train rather than in the hotel on the spot. We can only guess using very random and fragmented evidence about the destiny of brother and sister Johanson, who were stranded in this place and vanished in an unknown direction some time ago».