Every fifth smaller town and rural municipality reports that no new art has been put up in a public place in the last five years, according to a survey by Swedish Radio's Culture News.
Haparanda is one of the municipalities. There, they have paused art purchases for a whole twelve years, according to cultural developer Pia Marttinen.
We don't have a clear budget for it and then you need a political will, she says.
Among major cities and urban municipalities, only every twentieth reports that no new artworks have been put up in the last five years.
