In the late 1950's and early 60's the town of Oxelösund was rebuilt to fit the needs of the Steel producing industry, SSAB, and the five thousand people working there. Thus, most of the public buildings and residences are from this period and they still, pretty much, look exactly the same as they did when they were built. Therefore, both the architecture and the infrastructure of Oxelösund, to a large degree, embodies the social and political ideas of the Swedish society in the 50's and 60's.
Today, nearly 50 years later the number of people employed at SSAB is cut in half but the steel industry is still, by far, the main employer in Oxelösund and therefore exceptionally important for the whole economy in the region. Consequently, a lot has changed in Sweden over the last 50 years, but Oxelösund is still much the same.
Rikard Laving's bleak color photographs are as taken out of a time-capsule.
53 color and b/w images • Foreword by Mattias Alkberg • Translation to English: Andreas Pousette • Editor: Gösta Flemming • Design: K.T. Kristian Möller • Soft cover with flaps • 210 x 265 mm • 104 pages • Swedish/English • 2012
