Small towns and villages in rural areas of Sweden have long suffered from urbanisation and depopulation; some of them are on the verge of bankruptcy. At the same time these areas are supplying the country with its natural resources — hydropower, iron ore and lumber. How did this happen? The earnings are taxed in Stockholm and abroad and the provinces become unable to provide health and security for their residents. I want to argue for these areas right to exist.

I myself am guilty of the depopulation. I moved from rural Långsele in northern Sweden, to Stockholm — the epicentre of every-fucking-thing. Långsele couldn’t give me the same possibilities to grow. The youth are moving and small towns get drained of their creativity. How can I, as a designer, give these areas something they have lost?
My degree project is a down-payment on my debt to rural Sweden, but also a celebration of what I lost because of my escape.