BFF-44 Tiny mouse-size art proves a hit in Sweden

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Tiny mouse-size art proves a hit in Sweden

LUND, Sweden, Sept 8, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – They’re drawing crowds in
Sweden: cute and quirky shopfronts, delis and restaurants created by a
mystery art collective called “Anonymouse” that have popped up out of
nowhere in some cities.

The catch? You have to get down on all fours to see them, tucked
away as they are at the bottom of buildings, just big enough for mice.

“It’s like a treasure hunt,” 29-year-old Madeleine tells AFP in
Lund, a picturesque university town in the south of the Nordic country
where the collective’s latest works are on display.

Hidden away in knee-high crevices around the city, the works often
take the form of mundane locations, such as student dorms or a
restaurant, but always at a scale more welcoming to small rodents than
humans.

Most often they include cheesy puns, like the music shop “Ricotta
Records” which sells classic albums like “Back to Brie” by “Amy
Winemouse” and “Stilton John”‘s “Goodbye Yellow Cheese Roll”.

The anonymous team behind the creations has been working together
for four years, and the installations, which are temporary, are
exclusively made of recycled materials.

“It’s the big world made small,” 64-year old social worker Bengt
tells AFP, walking past to admire one of the works.

“There is almost always a message in them, it makes you think a
little about how people are doing,” 43-year-old Maria adds.

Remaining clandestine is a top priority for “Anonymouse.”

So when the Lund municipality commissioned some of the works, they
did not even know where to send the check.

They now have 26 creations to their name, including soup kitchens,
antique shops and a private detective’s office, though they are always
temporary and usually stay up for a few months.

Their works have also been seen in other cities in Sweden and
beyond, in Bayonne in France and on the Isle of Man in the UK.

Reflecting on the Covid-19 pandemic, their first creation in Lund
was a mouse pharmacy, complete with a sign encouraging visitors to
“Wash your paws.”

“The only thing that made sense was to build a pharmacy to somehow
comment on the current global situation,” a spokesperson, who
introduced himself as Yasha Mousekewitz, told AFP via email.

Their creations have also been a hit on social media and the
collective has garnered more than 139,000 followers on Instagram.

BSS/AFP/MRU/2252hrs