Formation av sten (Formation of stone)

Artist: Pål Svensson
Year created: 1992
Sculpture: Stone

Six large boulders, scattered in an arc through the eastern part of Jönköping city centre. Four stand along Östra Storgatan, while the other two are on Borgmästargränd and Lantmätargränd – two intersecting streets that connect the main road with the surrounding city.

Together, the stones form Formation av Sten (Formation of Stone), a work of art that hides itself within the city, rather than shouting for attention. It is easy to pass it by – but if you stop, a story of direction, movement and silent presence in public space unfolds.

Artist Pål Svensson first thought about making the line between the stones visible with an oxblood-red marking, and also colouring the boulders themselves, but this did not materialise. Instead, the work as it stands today is an understated, organic part of the city. It is a kind of portal, through which many people pass every day – consciously or unconsciously.

The stones have previously been exhibited in Stockholm and Lund, but it is in Jönköping that they have found their home.

Pål Svensson (b. 1950) grew up in Gothenburg. He first studied urban planning at the University of Gothenburg, while at the same time taking night classes in sculpture at Konstindustriskolan (now HDK-Valand Academy of Art and Design). After a few years of working life, he chose to devote himself entirely to art, studying at Hovedskous Målarskola (Hovedskous School of Painting) and the HDK-Valand Academy of Art and Design in Gothenburg.