Response to interpellation 2023/24:428 on national responsibility for visual cultural heritage and the preservation of Swedish photography
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns national responsibility for visual cultural heritage and the preservation of Swedish photography. S argues that photography is in a cultural policy vacuum without a national strategy 1 2. S requests an investigation to create a national strategy, infrastructure, and an action plan for collection from social media 1 2 3. S emphasizes that photography is a democratic tool that requires a coordinated effort 1 2. M believes that photography is already represented in museums 4 5 and that photography thrives best when free from political directives 4 6. M argues that there is no need for state guidelines 6.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)
Mr. Speaker! Lars Mejern Larsson has asked me if I intend to take any initiatives in light of the fact that the industry has for a long time requested an investigation to provide answers on how the visual cultural heritage should be collected, managed, and made accessible in a unified way, and if so, which ones.
The Government currently has no plans to appoint such an inquiry regarding visual cultural heritage. As I have already answered Lars Mejern Larsson, photography as an art form and cultural heritage is represented in both state and non-state museums in Sweden, and the authority Moderna museet has the task of collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and communicating 1900s and 2000s art in all its forms. Photography is also included in the museum's area of responsibility and collection. It is therefore not correct, as Lars Mejern Larsson asserts, that photography is a cultural heritage that no one takes responsibility for.
I also oppose the notion that it is the government that should issue directives for local initiatives to follow. Photography is well-distributed across the country and that there is a mix of public and private actors is a strength. I see the very diversity of actors as a prerequisite for the field to develop on its own terms. I am convinced that photography in Sweden does not need any political directives and that activities at all levels are best off being free from ideological influence.
Lars Mejern Larsson (S)
Mr. Speaker! Mats Holmstrand, Anna Clarén, JH Engström, Christer Strömholm, Beata Bergström, Carl Johan De Geer, Pär Olsson, Agneta Ekman, Hans Gedda, Anders Petersen, Ann Christine Eek - not to mention Sweden's perhaps most famous international photographer, Lennart Nilsson, who became well-known for his Ett barn blir till - pictures in my birth year 1965 - are some photographers whose life's work risks being lost due to the government's passivity - hence my interpellation. I thank the minister for the answer. But have those who have delivered the answer understood the question in its entirety?
According to Maja Hagerman, artistic lecturer in image production, photography is in a cultural-political vacuum. At the same time, photographs are becoming important as historical sources in the exploration of the past, but also in the narration and communication of historical understanding. Institutions use photographs from older photographic collections when they are to convey a cultural heritage. Photography has existed in our Nordic cultural life since the 1800s, and in our society, its importance has only grown and is steadily increasing. In Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland, they have understood its importance and developed a strategy at the national level. We are unique in the Nordics in not even being able to appoint an investigation, something that a united industry has requested for nearly a couple of decades.
Mr. Speaker! The preservation of photography seems to be an issue that falls between the cracks and that no one manages to pick up. It actually makes me sad when I think of all the pictures that risk ending up on the scrap heap. No one knows what treasures might be lost there. But a photograph that is destroyed or becomes invisible is of no use. Preserving and safeguarding our photographic cultural heritage, which is a part of our collective history and identity and an art form that tells about our time, our lives, and our world, should be a matter of course. But despite its importance, we face challenges that risk letting important parts of this heritage disappear. There is simply a lack of a plan. Today, many Swedish photographers' image archives are managed voluntarily by relatives and enthusiasts instead of in public museums and archives.
The task is great. As it stands today, the survival of photography depends on chance, says Lena Wilhelmsson in the Network for National Responsibility for Photography in Sweden. Paulina Holmgren, chairperson of the Swedish Photographers' Association, is clear: It is of utmost importance that we create an overview and that a national strategy is developed for how Sweden's photographic memory shall be managed, organized, made accessible, and developed, not only for current generations but also for future generations.
We cannot rely on Moderna museet, which often focuses on individual photographic works, to bear this responsibility alone. A coordinated effort and a formal plan are required that extends beyond the current collections, which are often incomplete and limited in time scope. It is not about controlling or directing our photographic heritage.
Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I am curious about how the Minister for Culture views this. Does the Minister not share the view of Lena Wilhelmsson and Paulina Holmgren that photographs are an irreplaceable source that should remain for the future?
Peter Ollén (M)
Mr. Speaker! When it comes to the preservation of cultural heritage, the M-L-KD government has significantly increased the investment in digitalization. For a cabinet or a boat, it naturally does not mean that one gets a satisfactory alternative to see and feel compared to seeing and feeling the object. But when it comes to the photographic cultural heritage, it is partly different, even though it is naturally valuable to retain glass plates and film produced on flammable material. The photographic cultural heritage gains a lot from digitalization when it is a matter of citizens participating in it. With a scanner, one can pick up more details than the silver grain in the film can manage. One can enlarge images and film, see more details, and extract more information. One can actually make a film have higher quality than the original when it is processed digitally. When one prints the images on modern seven-color printers, such as at Fotografiska here in Stockholm, one achieves a higher quality in the image than what was previously possible.
Just when it comes to the photographic part of the cultural heritage, digitalization is not a reduction but on the contrary something that not only provides more opportunities to take part in the cultural heritage but also provides higher quality. Therefore, the government's focus on digitizing with high quality and allocating more funds to this must be seen as a very positive way to go precisely when it comes to the photographic cultural heritage.
Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)
Mr. Speaker! Just as I said in my response to the interpellation, it is the case that photography as an art form and cultural heritage is preserved and represented in both state and non-state museums all around Sweden. We also have a dedicated agency, Moderna Museet, which has a mandate to work with 1900s and 2000s art in all its forms, thus also photography.
The government has so far not seen a need for a national museum dedicated solely to photography. Photography is present in the collections of most state museums, but also in regional, municipal, and private museums. Photography as a method is used for documentation as well as for artistic expression and is perhaps best understood in the contexts where the creation took place. It is therefore also natural that such photographs are primarily collected with other archival materials that best describe the context. Furthermore, it is naturally interesting to display photographs together with other artistically or culturally historically important objects and materials in different arenas.
The situation for photography looks different compared to for publications or film, as the member previously pointed out. Photography is also a technology that each of us has access to, not least now when everyone carries a camera in their mobile phone in their pocket. Photography is used, as mentioned, both for documentation and for artistic expression.
The Government's firm opinion is that these expressions are best understood in the context in which they were created, and therefore it is important that they are collected together with the documents that describe the context in the best way. In this way, we can help each other to both preserve the cultural heritage and make it possible to showcase the artistic expression. This is a shared and collective responsibility that many institutions bear, both state and private.
Lars Mejern Larsson (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Culture, for the answer! I also want to highlight the significance of photography in this contribution. It extends broadly and deeply in society and in culture. It differs from the word and the film; there, there is a responsibility, which does not exist when it comes to photography.
What happens if we remove the image? It is not only a way to preserve moments in time, but it is also a democratic tool and a concise means of communication, which can evoke emotions, provoke thoughts, and influence opinions. Photography can be regarded as an art form as well as a document of historical and contemporary events.
Let me mention my grandmother's stories about our relatives on the other side of the Atlantic, in America. Through her stories, photographs became not just static images but portals to our family history. They captured not only faces but also our roots, our history, and our dreams.
Photographs make it possible for people to preserve memories of personal moments, family members, and important events in life. They function as visual time capsules that carry stories and emotions.
Sveriges museer says regarding the new assignment for MSB 2023: If someone asks what one should take with them during a crisis, the answer is often the photo album. Cultural heritage is the nation's collective memory. If we as individuals prioritize the memory bank, the photo album, during a crisis, then politicians and authorities must prioritize the collective memory, cultural heritage, in society's preparedness.
Photography is an incredibly present part of our everyday lives, and the rapid digital development has resulted in an extensive production and circulation of images, not least in social media. This development makes it even more important to address issues regarding the control and handling of images.
Companies, associations, archives, museums and foundations all handle images, and the rise of AI places further demands. But what strategy do we have to handle this in a credible way? How do we want our images to be used in the future? Where do the images come from? Press archives are disappearing, and some are being bought up - and we do not always know where they go.
Mr. Speaker! It is worrying that there is no clear national responsibility or any preservation plan for photography. Therefore, an investigation is extremely important to clarify how we take care of and create our visual cultural heritage. The archive investigation, which is currently on hold, also underlines the need for a specific investigation regarding still images and photography.
It is also of great importance to note the part of the photographic history that is not available for scientific research today. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that the current fragmentation, characterized by a mix of private initiatives as well as regional and municipal efforts, is not adequate without coordination.
Despite the Minister claiming in her response that Moderna Museet has this mandate, I have not succeeded in getting it confirmed. This convinces me even more that an investigation is needed to clear up misunderstandings and uncertainties. So, if the Minister puts on the wide-angle lens to get a better overview, she will likely see that the tool is an investigation, despite the Minister's aversion to such.
Peter Ollén (M)
Mr. Speaker! Excuse me for continuing to intervene in this late in the evening, but photography and that entire development is something that is very close to my heart.
The painting, the photograph, the film, and the 3D film are all results of a process where we have technically become better and better at reproducing what we have around us. To keep some glass plates, a part of the silver-based photograph, and such are naturally important and good for understanding different parts of the technical process. But the central point when it comes to photography must be to focus on the preservation of the content, and there is the entire core and the key: digitalization.
All the photographers that Lars Mejern mentioned in his introduction and who are central and immensely important for our cultural heritage, and gladly ten thousand other photographers, already have their entire work digitized and fully available to be printed with higher quality than was possible just twenty years ago. Their work can therefore, if desired, be displayed even better today thanks to the focus on continued digitization.
Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)
Mr. Speaker! I am putting on the wide-angle lens for a moment and noting that while I do share Lars Mejern Larsson's view when it comes to the importance of photography as an art form, cultural heritage, and also a time capsule. But I perhaps do not share the view that this needs to be regulated and that the responsibility needs to lie with one party.
The museums and authorities decide independently on the management of their collections. I am, however, convinced that photography and its importance in the collections play a role for our museums. Here, I believe and the government believe that one alone is not strong, but it is a collective responsibility to enable photography, just as for many other art forms and cultural heritage in general, to get a space and a place and to be both considered and intended in the museums' daily work with both making accessible and preserving our common cultural heritage.
Lars Mejern Larsson (S)
Mr. Speaker! It is an investigation I am requesting. But since the Minister clearly and explicitly declares a total lack of interest in an investigation into who should have the coordinating responsibility, it becomes clear, I think, that responsibility scares the Minister. I have understood that my views will not be taken into account, but I still feel it is important to urge our Minister for Culture one last time to reconsider the situation.
I shall point out something more. Today, research and education - yes, the entire university world - are increasingly making use of visual media. Appointing a government inquiry is therefore not only wise but also economically beneficial for society.
Sweden is, as I said earlier, the only country in the Nordic region that has not established a national responsibility to promote and support the development of photography. We must actively seek solutions to meet contemporary challenges and prepare for future needs.
Here are some central points that should be included and considered in such an investigation:
a national strategy and infrastructure for photographic still image in Sweden based on domestic needs and international experiences
an inventory of Swedish photographers' life's work
development of digital methods for storage and dissemination as well as a strategy for collection and storage from the image flow via social media
an action plan where collective research and public presentations constitute important cornerstones
the question of who shall have the overall responsibility for the coordination and overview of the photographic still image.
Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)
Mr. Speaker! I must begin by thanking you for the opportunity to discuss these issues regarding visual cultural heritage and the preservation of Swedish photographic art.
Lars Mejern Larsson said in his final speech that he is concerned that I do not want to take any responsibility. Here I must nevertheless say that the interpellator does not need to worry. I am happy to take responsibility for things that the government finds prioritized right now. I am also happy to take responsibility for several of the things that previous governments did not have the energy or the means to handle. The appointment of a film inquiry is an example of that. The management of our cultural heritage in the form of cultural properties is another.
I therefore thank you for the discussion regarding that I would not want to take responsibility for things that can be difficult and unpleasant. On the other hand, we can interpret the needs differently, and we can prioritize differently.
Even though I understand the interpellant's position and the photography industry's request for guidelines on how photographic art should be collected, handled, and preserved, I see no need at this time for the state to develop such guidelines or directives on how it should be done.
As Minister for Culture in a government that emphasizes the importance of both artistic freedom and the principle of arm's length distance, my starting point is that art should be an unbound force, free from politics and political micro-management where such is not needed. Therefore, I do not believe that a state regulation would benefit photography or the visual cultural heritage.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.