Friday My Town: Tour Guide

This should be easy, but considering I’ve been blogging continually about my town for about three years now, I’m finding it kind of hard to come up with something “new”.

However, it may come as a surprise to some bloggers who have been following me for a while now… that THIS is where most of my Swedish visiting friends have wanted to go in the past:

The shopping mall/district ‘Knalleland’ (well, part of it)!

Borås is an old textile and mailorder centre; and even though nowadays there are less actual ‘factory outlets’ than there used to be, we still have a reputation for cheap (or supposedly cheap) shopping - especially clothes.

Actually some people travel for hours to get here, only to spend hours going from shop to shop at this mall, and that’s pretty much all they see of the town.

People with small children who aren’t fond of shopping, usually bribe them by also throwing in a visit the zoo.

The zoo was founded in the 1960s and specializes in African endangered species - and our own Scandinavian ones (like wolves):

 

 

A place I like to suggest to visitors is the Textile Museum, which is unique in Sweden. They have a permanent exhibition of old machinery etc reflecting the textile history of the area; and seasonal exhibitions of varying kind. I’ve blogged about this museum before on several occasions.

 

Another favourite spot of mine is the Open Air Museum, a park with a variety of old buildings which have been moved there. In the main museum there is usually some current exhibition of local history or crafts. In the summer you may also find modern sculptures on display in the park. In the tourist season there is a café.

 

I also like our town centre where besides shopping you can go for a stroll along the river and in the town park. The riverside restaurants and cafés are popular in the summer.

 

In later years, Borås has managed to build a reputation as a town of many sculptures. We got a boost in 2008 with Jim Dine’s 9 m high broze sculpture of Pinocchio:

 

This summer we’re having our third sculpture biennal with some extra sculptures on loan in addition to the permanent ones. This time many of the new works are displayed in and around our newly renovated Cultural Centre; in which building you’ll find the art museum, library, and theatre.

 

‘Pose Plastique’ by Cajsa von Zeipel

For more interiors and sculptures,
see last week's FMTSO post.

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To take a tour of the highlights of some OTHER places around the world, go visit Friday My Town Shoot Out

Friday My Town: Interiors

 

In the Borås International Sculpture Biennal 2012, which opened last weekend, most of the new sculptures are on display in and around our town’s Cultural Centre (including Art Museum, Theatre and Library) and the nearby Gustav Adolf’s Church from 1906.

This gave me a good opportunity to also take some interior photos.

Let’s start with the church:

 

The pulpit and the baptismal font

The big church organ at the back

A smaller organ, drums, and a piano…
And the possibility to light a candle as expression of prayer.

A votive ship

Votive offerings also called ex-votos are given in fulfillment of a vow or in gratitude, to a church where the worshipper seeks grace or wishes to give thanks. In Scandinavia, model ships were common votive gifts from sailors.

One of the sculptures included in the 2012 Biennal,
on display in the church: ‘House 18’ by Lars-Åke Åberg.

I like how they placed this with the light coming in
from above through the church windows.

And it fits in beautifully with biblical images of the Church:

“you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a
spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5)”

The exterior – just so you know where you’ve been!

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Close to the Gustav Adolf Church is our Cultural Centre,
including Art Museum, Theatre and Library

The entrance hall facing the church is extra interesting just now
because of this work of art by Alyson Shotz, USA, entitled
“The Shape of Space” – which is part of the Sculpture Biennal.

With this sculpture, you’re supposed to also explore the interior…

 

Looking out from inside the “Shape of Space” sculpture.
(Do you recognize the church?)

 

Interior from the Art Museum

 

Interior from the entrance to the theatre

 

Interior from the Library

 

The new automatic Book Return Machine
Ugly, but saving the staff a lot of manual lifting of books.

 

From what I understand, the books get automatically sorted in the machine and then the staff can just pull a trolley out and roll that away to the right section of the library, to manually sort the books into the shelves.

 

Visit Friday My Town Shoot Out
to see more interiors from around the wordl

 

 

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday: Kiss

“Kyss” (Kiss) by Eva Marklund
at Borås International Sculpture Biennal 2012

Wordless Wednesday

Ruby Tuesday – Placed On Pedestal

‘Mann’ by Stephen Balkenhol (1998)
at Borås International Sculpture Biennal 2012

The artist, Stephen Balkenhol, was born in Germany 1957.

“He uses large blocks of timber to chisel out true-to-life men, women and animals, using a chainsaw and hammer. Balkenhol counters the classical ideal of elevated beauty. --- [His aim is] to break down the monumental aspect of figurative statues by placing the most ordinary men and women on pedestals – places that have normally been reserved for heroes and heroines.”

 

Reading this, I’m reminded of Psalm 8 in  the Bible:

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet

Psalm 8 (King James verison)

 

 

Linking to Ruby Tuesday 2

 

Shadow Shot Sunday: Sculptures

“Untitled” by Katrine Helmersson (1998)
at Borås International Sculpture Biennal 2012

In the background - Gustav Adolf’s Church

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See more shadows at Shadow Shot Sunday 2