Andan is an art installation that comes alive with wind and light, two resources that Kiruna has in abundance. It is based on both the wind as a natural force and on the collective energy and breath of the children of Kiruna, who are growing up in this singular city on the move. The installation is the result of a collaboration between children at Högalid, Sameskolan and Thoren Framtid schools and masters students in Child Culture Design at Gothenburg University’s HDK-Valand Academy of Design and Craft.
Kiruna, a unique city with a rich mix of cultures and a complex history, forms the background for this project, intended to create a new meeting space for Kiruna’s children and to make visible the light and wind that characterize its climate. Andan makes use of discarded textile material, reducing its environmental impact and turning waste into something new within the site of Kiruna’s old city center.
The movement of the fabric in the wind, and the ambiance created by the light shining through layers of textile, are a metaphor for the creativity and resilience of children growing up in this unusual place. The installation gives one impression from the outside but can only be truly discovered once you are within, much like Kiruna.
In Child Culture Design, we work with children’s participation and ideas–children are not only our audience but also our collaborators. Along with children from Kiruna, Andan was created by Zala Seles, Yulei Zhang, Sara Carvalho, Rocío Soto, and Erica Schuetz, a team of Gothenburg-based design students with backgrounds in art, architecture, product and graphic design, and education.
