CARLA ÅHLANDER

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From the interview project I enrum, presented in Malmö Konsthall, 2000. (Translation from Swedish) Stina (born in Malmö, 1967. Lives in Lund): "But that is, you know, 'tax money', like you have to 'invest' in all these unemployed women who aren't needed anyway and only cost money. Then you go up along the west coast of Sweden. And there is tunnel construction and road construction and bridge construction and railroad construction, this and that. And especially here, going between Malmö and Lund you see these enormous machines and things – and all these men. Around every hole – Malmö is getting rebuilt too in different ways – around every little hole in the street are standing 15 men! It is true! You laugh, and I mean, you can laugh at it, and you do as soon as you see them, every time you see a hole in the ground, or a stick or something, they stand there, 15 of them! Stand there talking, in different equipments and costumes and helmets and things, like… like, uniformed! And then you quickly make a rough estimation, and you think, where the hell does this… meaning who? There is a fascinating side to all of this, we'll come to that later, but: Where does this money come from? I mean hello? It is road constructions, tunnel construction, bridge construction – state capital! I mean, it's tax money! Then that they call it 'investments, going into the future' – but they are pumping out money! To men. Because men have all these jobs. And sure, often the private market get these jobs – and much better wages and conditions and this and that and risk bonus and caravan bonus and allowances and this and that. It's nothing – I mean, it is all these men – swish! – you know when you sort of see it…? It is about jobs. It is not like we maybe are in need of these things. The whole tunnel construction may in the end have showed itself profitable, but still provided jobs to like… well, 100 holes times 15 men times… 20 places. You know sometimes, when you have an insight, then… you look at this society in a completely different way… You save, right. But I mean, there is the same double-sidedness in this, that really, you could have pumped them with money, those jobs too, because you could have said that this is important. I mean, child care is more important than new roads – most people would probably say. Then they say, 'that is the private market, men work in the private market', 'those jobs don't get subventions from the state' BUT THEY DO! Hell, I'm paying for those road constructions! It is not private capital building that bridge! And the whole market economy is male, right. It is not the Swedish State building the bridge, it is Skanska – but it's not Skanska! The state is paying! Hello? You attach a shitload of weight and importance to all of this also because all these projects, like the bridge to Copenhagen, 'it will make us a part of the world' and stuff like that, a whole bunch of lies, that all people here love to live on."

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