The Use of Photography: Borg Mesch and Hans-Olof Utsi

At the heart of this exhibition are roughly sixty photographs by Borg Mesch’s (1869–1956), depicting Kiruna’s earliest years—the construction of the railway to the Atlantic coast, the magnificent northern landscape, and the Sámi Indigenous population. Variations in technique, size, and framing suggest how his images have been used in different periods and contexts.

Kiruna-based photographer Hans-Olof Utsi has documented how Mesch’s images are used throughout the city: they appear on the façade of the swimming hall, in hotel lobbies, and in nursing homes. In his new work for the exhibition, artist Mikhail Tolmachev focuses on Mesch’s studio photography and how such practices stage people and nature for a particular gaze.

Today, Borg Mesch’s photographs offer a unique insight into how Kiruna emerged in the tension between local needs and national economic interests. In doing so, they also reflect the colonial projects that shaped the north at the time. With images from Kiruna Municipality’s image collection, the exhibition conveys how Borg Mesch’s photographs have been used over the years but also provides an insight into how the view of photography as a historical document and aesthetic object has shifted. The selection and compilation were carried out by Niclas Östlind, professor of photography at HDK-Valand, University of Gothenburg, together with Hans-Olof Utsi.

You can find more information about the exhibition on Kins website!