THE PROMISE: FILM PROGRAM, PART 3
3 September 2017, 18:00

As part of the exhibition The Promise, Index presents together with Film i Samtidskonsten a comprehensive film program in three parts throughout the exhibition period (3 June–3 September 2017). The selection of films reflect an interest in the city as a social and political playground and complements the interdisciplinary character of the exhibition where artists’ works, archival material, research and the work of activist groups in the city are brought together. In The Promise, the conflicts surrounding Stockholm’s built environment offer a context to investigate a larger narrative concerning the promise of modernism to make cities and housing available for everyone – a narrative that is often closely connected with the power of political structures.

The 1930 Stockholm Exhibition marked the entry of functionalism in Sweden. Closely aligned with the ideals of social democracy, functionalist modernism made its mark as a national aesthetic first in the building of folkhemmet (“The People’s Home” program) all the way into the 1970s Million Program housing projects that created a million new dwellings in a single decade. Initially, modernism’s strong belief in architecture and the designers’ ability to improve people’s living conditions was manifest in Stockholm’s built environment. However, in its late modern iterations, there was also an increasing sense of alienation, embedded segregation, and policymakers who favored rational and traffic-centered cityscapes at the expense of citizen’s rights and participation. How do we accommodate a promise which was never fully realised in a time marked by acute housing shortage, growing social inequality and where market forces dominate and dictate the conditions for the future of the city?

The film series is curated by Nathalie Åhbeck, Assistant Curator: Andreas Bertman.

Part 3: Sun 3 September 2017, 18:00

Location: Index, Kungsbro strand 19, admission: 40 SEK

Ansikten i skugga, Peter Weiss (1957, 13 min)
Bostadens mått, Lennart Johansson (1959, 19 min)
Under Construction, Josef Doukkali and Lennart Westman (2009, 11 min)
Four Studies of Oslo and New York, Ane Hjort Guttu (2012, 17 min)
Välkommen till Ikano, Christine Leuhusen and Agnes Stuber (2016, 12 min)

The film program is a collaboration of Index, Film i Samtidskonsten and Filmform.