Explore art in Borås where the public space is a gallery with no limits

We get off the bus after traveling for nine hours and for the first time I experience how a city really has it’s own smell. As we arrive in Borås all my senses are open and I feel more aware of the town than ever before because I want to show him everything. And so the smell that hits me is a very familiar one.

It’s a smell full of memories of the forest I played in as a kid, friends that came and went. Of my school and how sick I was of it in the end, the tears when I graduated – of teenage anxiety and love. Of my first job and of laughters and mistakes, fights and hugs. The bars I had too much to drink at and the spot where my best friend walked right into a lamp post.

It smells like home.

As I grew older I couldn’t wait to get away. Borås was a rainy town, and it felt too small. Everyone knew each other and we were just sick of it. I moved to Gothenburg and later to Sundsvall.

The city really comes alive in spring and summer, and now when I visit – I love Borås. It’s situated beautifully by the river Viskan and they’ve really taken advantage of that. The walkway and park along the water is beautiful, and the restaurants where you can sit and enjoy food & beer just by the water are very well established.

The benches in town have solar panels and USB ports so that people can charge their phones. To promote people to not throw cigarett butts on the ground their ash trays have built in voting polls. There’s a lot of trash bins around, many of them with separate bins for paper, plastic and bottles / cans you can get a return on. Overall I think the city does a great job!

And then there’s the art. Oh my the art.

Café Viskan by Sandwalls plats is my favourite place for grabbing a coffee or having lunch & a beer in the sun

• 

• 

Explore art in Borås

Art has always been an important aspect for this town, known for its textile industry and textile university. The town has also done a great job in having a lot of sculptures placed through out the city. Why should art only be viewed inside four walls when it can be viewed out in public for anyone to see it?

This is exactly what the town has done with the project No Limit, they’ve turned the public space into a gallery and you can now explore art where ever you go in Borås.

No Limit is a street art festival which has been happening for a few years now. Businesses and companies get to offer one of their walls to be painted on, and if the town approves it – the walls gets handed over to one of the selected artists coming from all over the world – artists free to do pretty much whatever. There’s no limit, and thus the town is full of huge, beautiful murals and art and it’s amazing to walk around town finding art around almost every corner.

“No Limit is an outdoor art event inviting artists from around the world to participate in turning public space into an outdoor exhibition.

The idea is not new. Street-Art has been changing neighborhoods and cities around the globe for many years but Sweden, which has remained mostly vacant of large scale murals due to its strict “Zero tolerance” policy, is now getting a chance to be a part of this fast growing culture with its first large-scale mural event in the city of Borås.

The murals that will take place in Borås will hopefully serve as a starting point for other towns in Sweden to start accept Street Art and to be part of the culture instead of fighting it.”

– Source: No Limit Website

This piece illustrating Selma Lagerlöf’s story “The adventures of Nils Holgersson” by Telmo Miel is one of my favourite murals.

This piece of the two racing horses with a kurbits pattern was the first No limit art piece, made by Shai Dahan who’s the curator of the street art festival.

• 

• 

We had a great time in Borås enjoying the art and weather paired with evenings BBQ’ing and playing board games with my parents. We spent some time in Gothenburg as well, climbing with my best friend, exploring and enjoying good food and local craft beer.

Overall it was just wonderful to show my love where I grew up – a place I am very proud of today.

Our trip came to an end as we got off the train here in Sundsvall and walked home in a wonderful, golden sunset. This easter / spring break was well needed and our journey south gave us a lot of new energy and inspiration.