Let It Be Heard, Let It Be Seen

Let It Be Heard, Let It Be Seen (Låt höra, låt se) by Sara Wallgren is a sculptural artistic intervention for the new District Court in Eskilstuna. On a conceptual and spatial level, the work connects the daily operations of the district court and its premises with the history of the building as a Mint.

Metal vein in the form of soundwaves – an echo of voices

A metal vein runs through the building. For the most part it is invisible, embedded in walls, ceilings or floors, but at selected points the vein peeks out of the architecture and becomes visible. The metal vein represents the building’s history as a Mint where metal was transformed into various types of coins. The contemporary operations in the building are represented by the metal vein taking the form of sound waves with an echo of voices and words that are currently uttered in the building. Recorded sounds have been converted into a spectrogram that served as a template for the design of the vein. In the light atrium the metal vein is manifested as a cone that speaks of the right to be heard and to be seen.

The title Let It Be Heard, Let It Be Seen (Låt höra, låt se) refers to the current function of the site, a district court where people’s stories and experiences, regardless of which entrance is used to enter the building or the courtroom, must be heard and considered.

Artist Sara Wallgren on Let It Be Heard, Let It Be Seen

“An artistic intervention that may resonate with people who find themselves in various emotional states when they visit the district court’s premises. As witnesses, defendants, staff, visitors… Both on a large and a small scale, the artistic intervention is visible and at the same time creates a feeling of intimacy. The intervention should be both accessible and ambiguous”.

On Sara Wallgren

Born in Örebro in 1981, Sara Wallgren lives and works in Södra Karstorp and Berlin. She received her artistic training at Malmö Art Academy in 2005–2010 and has held solo exhibitions in Helsinki, Malmö and Stockholm, among others. She often works with sound or phenomena that metamorphose into new forms or drawings. Wallgren’s art practice is characterised by an exploration that takes its starting point in inherent limitations and possibilities of situations and materials.

Eskilstuna District Court in the former Mint’s premises

Eskilstuna’s new district court has been incorporated into the former Mint’s premises, which were renovated and adapted. The new, modern district court of approximately 3,000 square metres comprises five courtrooms and some 50 workplaces. A central part of the new district court consists of an extension that includes the main entrance. Eskilstuna District Court is a medium-sized, general court that handles criminal cases. The district court also deals with disputes between private individuals, for example, family cases, as well as matters such as adoption and bankruptcies.