The report into a merger of Moderna Museet, ArkDes and the Public Art Agency lacks the necessary risk and impact analyses. There is a major risk that it could lead to negative effects for public art and shared environments throughout Sweden. Further analysis is required before a decision on a possible merger can be made. This is stated by the Public Art Agency, the national expert authority for public art, in its response to the report that was submitted to the Ministry of Culture today.
The Public Art Agency is Sweden’s national authority responsible for producing, acquiring and conveying public art by living visual and design artists, strengthening the development and dissemination of contemporary art, and developing and spreading knowledge about public art and our shared living environments. The Public Art Agency’s work is largely based on collaboration with public and private property owners, municipalities, regions, civil society and the art world at large.
In our response to the report, we point out that the investigation completely lacks risk and impact analyses that map the long-term effects of a merger of the Public Art Agency with Moderna Museet and ArkDes. Such a decision could have extensive negative consequences for public art and the design of our shared environments, both in the short and long term. Although the investigation highlights potential advantages in administration and efficiency, it does not provide a clear picture of how the merger would affect the three authorities’ operations or their long-term development. We believe that an in-depth analysis needs to be carried out before any decisions are made.
For almost 90 years the Public Art Agency has played a crucial role in promoting artistic quality and renewal throughout the country, and in maintaining collaboration between the state, municipalities, regions and the private sector.
We are seriously concerned that a merger could dilute our identity and reduce our visibility, which in turn could lead to a weakened development of public art. We also note that several consultation bodies share our analysis, and that many actors in the cultural sector have expressed a unified position that the merger risks worsening the conditions for public art. In our assessment, a weakened state presence in the area means that artistic renewal will be slowed down, which would have a negative impact on the ability of municipalities and regions to promote artistic quality and renewal.
We also see that there is a lack of a clear vision for the new proposed authority’s operations. In summary, a complete risk and impact analysis and a clear vision are necessary before a decision is made on a possible merger. Without these complementary analyses, there are major risks that a merger will lead to worsening conditions for the development and renewal of the area of public art throughout the country.