The sun shines down On Rich And Poor Alike between May and September, as we engage in a longterm discussion on forms of commons together with  groups and projects like Trampolinhuset, Kuratorisk Aktion, Ensayos, Mustarinda Association, Sorfinnset Skole/The Nord Land and SIFAV. It’s all part of the exhibition project Communities in Conversation, at Konsthall C in Hokarangen (Stockholm). Our contribution has so far consisted in two parts, a slideshow and filmscreening on smallscale coalmining in Sweden during WWII, and a draft of a future exhibition contract between the Sunshine Socialist Cinema and hosting institutions.

The Sunshine Socialist Cinema is located in the countryside of Scania, an area which served as the Swedish coalmining district for several centuries. Originally, the coal was mined by only one corporation, Hoganasbolaget, but during WWII when Swedish imports were blocked, coal became scarce, and an exception was made: private persons were temporarily allowed to mine coal on land that they owned, in gardens and on farmland. These years, when 140 new shafts were dug, became known as the Klondyke period in Scania.

The Sunshine Socialist Cinema has started collecting photographs for a slideshow of images from the Klondyke period, and has also screened a section of the film Billesholm i helg och socken (1946), which shows some of the mines being worked by local farmers. We’ve received kind assistance from Billesholms Hembygdsforening.

In tandem with collecting material on the smallscale coalmines, we are also following the current process and debate around smallscale private production of solar energy, something which we ourselves are involved in. Together with Konsthall C, we’ve begun working out an approach to regulating our future involvement with art institutions who would wish to include the Sunshine Socialist Cinema in their programming. This involves mounting solar panels which could turn institutions into microproducers of their own electricity.

Two-part poster outlining an approach to exhibiting the Cinema in art institutions

(printed in soy based ink on a Riso)