East link. Joy and sorrow in Gothenburg, part 2

Exhibition lasts from 2021-2026. In the soundwork, parallels are drawn between the role of Gothenburg Central Station during the Swedish emigration to America in the 1800s and contemporary flows of migration. The listener is invited to reflect on their own position in relation to what is being said. Who has the right to stop and rest, and who is forced to constantly be on the move? Manuel Pelmuş’ voice guides our gaze towards aspects of our surroundings that are allowed to be seen, and those that are being rendered invisible. The work is based on the artist’s experiences at the central station in Gothenburg and at other train stations. It was performed live and recorded at the central station in Bucharest. The recording was then complemented with field recordings from Gothenburg Central Station. In the experience of the final work the two locations are dissolved into each other and the boundaries between past and present become blurred.