The announcement was expected, that those responsible for the State Museums of World Culture favor a co-location of the three Stockholm museums while the Gothenburg-based World Culture Museum is left alone. It's the third time.
Still, I feel both sad and angry. The reporting of the government assignment is a rush job, where most of the analysis is based on the study from 2021.
"A solid, detailed and up-to-date basis for decision-making is a prerequisite for a decision to be made," claimed Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand (M) on April 23, when the assignment was announced.
How does it go with an end date as early as October 1st?
I think a co-location was in the cards. Completely in line with the moderates' neoliberal cultural policy, with slimmed-down grants and favored mergers. Most recently by the Modern Museum, Arkdes and the State Council for the Arts, despite warnings about, among other things, concentration of power.
The world culture museums are already forced into a poorly functioning authority structure. But cramming three Stockholm museums into one place is another centralization, where mutual identities can be lost - but dangerous also considering how Russia attacks Ukraine's cultural heritage.
The worst is Etnografiska's cramped warehouse, where several water leaks have occurred and elevated radon values are a problem
This vulnerability is only briefly mentioned in the report. During my reading there is a sense of distortion, bias. That the risks of the proposed alternative are played down, that the problems with the listed buildings of the East Asian and Mediterranean Museums are instead exaggerated, while the positive aspects of the beautiful old premises are played down.
On the other hand, it is emphasized that the Ethnographic Museum at Gärdet and the World Culture Museum in Gothenburg have suitable premises. Sure, they are built like museums, but they still have clear flaws. The worst is Etnografiska's cramped warehouse, where several water leaks have occurred and elevated radon values are a problem.
A substantial expansion is necessary if all three museums are to have space, where the final bill could probably run to 600-700 million kroner. Add to that stress for the staff, closed premises for several years and even more objects in storage (today only 3 percent of the collection's 485,000 objects are on display).
This is claimed to be more "resource efficient" than what it costs to remain in existing premises.
My view is that it is now also being acted upon in the wrong order. Before any decisions have been made, staff reductions have been announced, despite the authority being left to expertise for over a decade.
The report ends with a pious hope for revenue-adjusted rent for the Museum of Ethnography and World Culture, instead of the devastating market rent. But if everyone in the authority could get it, the economy would lighten up considerably!
Now the hope is that a red-green government is more interested than the Tidö government in protecting our ancient museums.
