Scanisaurus 2.021

Bromölla is home to Europe's largest stoneware fountain, Scanisaurus. With the fountain at its center, this project will bring the site's cultural heritage to life and provide further identity and inspiration for contemporary art and culture.

Bromölla Municipality has commissioned the artist collective Ifö Center to research, document and tell about Iföverken's role in art history. Special focus will be placed on Nylund's flagship work Scanisaurus and the unique working technique behind the work, other large-scale artworks created at Iföverken's development workshop, and the connection between Iföverken and Rörstrand's.

Scanisaurus came into being in a larger context. The work arose from the meeting between the artist and a strong manufacturing industry with high-class craftsmanship, in an era that brought them both close to each other. Iföverken had an important role for the artists during the heyday of Swedish ceramics, around the 1930s-1970s. Throughout this era there was a very strong connection between Iföverken and Rörstrands. This has now almost completely fallen into oblivion.

The project aims to preserve, use and develop a living cultural heritage and an art historical context to strengthen Bromölla as a tourist destination. Various KKN companies (cultural and creative industries) are working on researching and documenting the fountain in parallel with ongoing restoration work on it. Products and services based on the story of Scanisaurus are being developed and packaged and marketed through the destination development process.

Implementation:

• A book in 500 copies with the history and story of Scanisaurus
• Advent calendar for children in 1000 copies
• Guided tours based on Scanisaurus
• Visit to a living workshop where similar concepts have been developed
• Workcations for trying out business
• Courses and workshops for professionals
• A permanent exhibition about Scanisaurus and Iföverken's artistic activities
• Spare parts to maintain the fountain

The project has been largely implemented as planned, but with some changes and some reallocation of resources to address opportunities and challenges. These changes have been addressed in the interim reports and primarily concern the fact that funds have been moved to take advantage of the opportunity to employ the retired restorer AAC to restore badly damaged mold material in a very affordable and professional manner. The molds are the basis for all future restoration work and without them it is not possible to manufacture newly manufactured parts. Other things that have changed are that the project has been extended in terms of time, since the work was more extensive than estimated. We prioritized research and restoration of molds, since these things are the basis for everything else. The book and calendar were pushed forward and eventually deleted. The time resource has been lacking.

In the project, we have researched and documented intangible and tangible cultural heritage from the period around 1930 – 1970, connected to Iföverken in Bromölla. Particular focus has been on Scanisaurus, but other works and stories have also been followed up. One example is the ”Glasstanten” in Köge, the predecessor to Scanisaurus, which was rediscovered during the course of the project. Another example is the close connection between Iföverken and Rörstrands in Lidköping.

The project has conducted interviews and conversations with a large number of people to collect information. Among the people interviewed are, for example, Anita Nylund, daughter of Gunnar Nylund, and other people who participated in the work on the fountain, etc. Archive material has been compiled, as well as photos and texts. A living workshop has been built inside the Ifö Center. Many visitors have been received in the living workshop and have been able to see what the work process behind the work and the model looked like/looks like. New types of guided tours have been developed, based on the story of Scanisaurus and other artistic projects related to Iföverken. A study trip to Valencia in Spain has been carried out, where, among other things, the Ladro factories were visited and contacts were made with the factory's management. Another study trip has been carried out to Bornholm. Here, Den Danske Keramikfabrik and various ceramists were visited, among other things.

A large network and a lot of information exchange has been created in the project. A worcation package has been developed, but unfortunately has not been able to be sold due to the pandemic that has been ongoing during the last 15 months of the project. The Scanisaurus project has networked with Ifö Center's artists in residence and has had a knowledge transfer to them and to other artists/art craftsmen at Ifö Center. The mold material has been thoroughly reviewed. A large number of damaged molds have been restored. Missing molds have been recreated from scratch, based on photos, broken parts and newly sculpted plaster or clay originals.

The fountain has been measured in detail three-dimensionally. New originals have been sculpted in wax, scale 1:10 plus shrinkage allowance 15 %. The wax parts have been cast and two sets of molds (one for new plaster originals and one for porcelain) have been created. A model has been produced as reference material and for the exhibition. The silicone molds can also be used for food such as chocolate. Six identical binders with copies of documents concerning Scanisaurus in the archives have been copied and placed in strategic places. Much material has been borrowed from private individuals and copied/scanned.

The project has resulted in increased interest in and awareness of Scanisaurus, the 50th anniversary and Iföverken's cultural heritage. This includes the general public, decision-makers, civil servants and KKN industries, artists and others. The project has contributed to media attention and has reached far. Guided tours are offered and workshops can start after the pandemic. The living workshop is in operation and can be visited to the extent possible due to the pandemic. Knowledge transfer via courses and workshops, lectures, etc. has been carried out and will continue even after the project. A lot of research and documentation has been done and information has been disseminated. A large exhibition has been produced, with a scale model as the centerpiece.

Project participants have worked actively to convey the story in meetings, lectures and other situations. The project has paved the way for a complete renovation where all broken parts of the fountain can be recast. In principle, all the molding material for all damaged parts is now in usable condition.

The project falls within the framework of the strategy as they are tackling challenges in a new way that will strengthen Bromölla's living cultural heritage and the profile of the entire area. In Bromölla there is history and knowledge of ceramic production that they want to take advantage of and use to attract creative companies and new visitors to the area.