Artwork: Rutan

Through their work ‘Rutan’ (The Square), Ruben Östlund and Kalle Boman explore what would happen if every Swedish community had a free zone at its centre. In ‘Rutan’, shared rights and responsibilities would prevail. If someone was in need of help, they would stand here and anyone passing would be obligated to help. ‘Rutan’ provokes further thoughts about right and wrong, the values we hold and treating others fairly.

Ruben Östlund’s feature film ‘The Square’ is about trust between people and where the city’s responsibilities end and those of the individual begin. ‘The Square’ is a project that started with an exhibition and seminar at Vandalorum on the artistic interpretation of the square, which continues with the film. In 2017, Ruben Östlund won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for the film.