Inbärga is an exploration of old hay barns (in Swedish “lada”), which lost their intended purpose during the shift from small to large-scale production. Nowadays, most of them are in decay. Even though they are no longer in use as containers of hay, they are an important part of the cultural landscape in the north of Sweden. They are cultural containers carrying many layers of stories and histories.
My degree project is driven by material and storytelling and it explores possible approaches to the barn from historical study and the perspective of care; this is a care for the resources, the energy, the material, the knowledge and the stories that are all stored within the barn. Through my investigation into how the barn is entangled in webs of significance, and ecological assemblages, this project re-envisions our relationship to things, materials and the landscape that surrounds us. This project stands with one foot in the past, acting in the present, and moving towards the future.
