For a little over a decade now, I’ve been writing with increasing intensity, and I’m almost ready to claim it as my main occupation – or at least what I spend by far the most time doing.
It’s a cliché, but I write trying to understand what I think. And the longer I live, the more there is to sort through and out. Cue blog platform. (Or whatever this is).
Since 2018, I’ve been working for the benefit of Swedish music creators, at Skap, within Stim, and across the wider ecosystem of music organisations.
I’ve always been driven by what I consider a healthy scepticism towards large organisations with too much power – but collective management is, in fact, an exception. Voluntary associations where members hold real influence are among the most important safeguards of a functioning democracy in an increasingly hyper-individualistic Sweden.
Systemfiler is my platform for examining the corrupt drivers that govern – and have long governed – Swedish cultural policy. I want to understand how and why Swedish culture is so extremely guided by market logic; and as a result, how and why Swedish global consumer brands have gained a disproportionate influence over arts funding. From another angle, I will keep asking why Swedes always happily gravitates towards monocultures – as strategy, tactic, and identity. As this is so foreign to me personally, what's up with the group dynamics and nervousness in Swedish society? Is it about being kicked out of the tribe if you don't consume, behave or think correctly?
To get to the bottom of this requires a mix of historical context, contemporary critique, and attempts at future casting.
What does it take to achieve genuine diversity – and to build real resistance to charlatans, opportunists, and the narrow-minded petit-bourgeois spirit?
Perhaps we need a forced restart?
/Mathias Strömberg
Disclaimer: All texts published here reflect only my own opinions, interpretations, and experiences. They do not represent any employer, client, or organization with which I am or have been affiliated – even if similarities or overlaps may exist.
Attribution: Unless otherwise stated, all material on this website is the property of Strömbergs Affärer AB and may not be reproduced without clear attribution to Mathias Strömberg and systemfiler.se. Certain images and quotations are used for commentary, parody, or documentary purposes – copyright for these remains with their respective creators. If you believe any material infringes upon your or another party’s rights, please contact me for takedown.
