He is 26 years old Swedish guy. Loves movies, music and tea.
The picture of his billy will tell more about this.
10.3.11
Billy Interview #1
Interview with Cecilia and her Billys
“It probably doesn’t happen very often that a total stranger comes home to you and asks you questions about your bookcases,” I said as Cecilia led me to the kitchen and poured me a cup of coffee. “As a matter of fact, never” Cecilia replied laughingly with Astrid in her arms staring at me with earnest and curiosity.
Through a friend, I was put into contact with Cecilia and able to arrange an interview with her on Billy. Truth be told, it was a rather bizarre feeling to sit in a stranger’s kitchen and try to get them to talk about themselves and most of all, their bookcases. So how did I break the ice? I had to start somewhere. So I began by presenting myself and explaining where this interview was coming from. I told her about the Billy course and the ambition of turning this course into publications and an exhibition or something like that. I think I got my message across all right. So, it was time to get personal.
Cecilia, 28, is currently on maternity leave taking care of her daughter Astrid, who was born in July 2010. Before Astrid was born, Cecilia was a student of Arts Teacher Education at University College of Arts, Crafts and Design. She plans to resume her study in August this year. Her partner, Marcus, who wasn’t home at the time of interview, works as a postman. They live in a two-room apartment in Telefonplan.
9.3.11
Per's Bookshelf (A Sketch)
So... This is my bookshelf, in a highly impressionistic form.
To be honest, it's not really a bookshelf at all, but rather a vertical storage area where there also happen to be some books.
At the top, since there is plenty of room between the billy and the ceiling, there are plastic containers for use in storing and cooking food. Convenient, if a little messy.
Below, there are batteries, spare lightbulbs, belts and other miscellaneous stuff. It's "that" kind of shelf!
Interview-Mojdeh and her Billys
* It is a competition man!
I started the assignment by asking my friends from Taiwan if they have bookshelf from Ikea or not, but then I realized that it’s not gona work because we are all students who will leave Sweden within one or two years, no one want to buy this kind of bookshelf even it is really cheap.
So I turned to my Swedish classmates for help, and soon it became a competition between us because we have four people in this course, and we only have 5 Swedish in our ID class.
“Have you asked Hampus yet ? ” “Yes! He has one!!” “shit!”
“Did you ask Mojdeh ? ” “I did ! ” “Fuck !”
After the competition, I got Mojdeh as my interviewee.
7.3.11
Richard and his Billy
Richard lives in Bromma and moved to Sweden from the Nederlands a couple of years ago. In the bookcase there are a level of mainly Dutch books and two other levels of mainly Swedish books. Differently from me, he has read about 90% of his books.Richard was not aware of his bookcase being a Billy until he had already bought it. He bought it because the bookcase fit into the apartment he was living in at that moment and he found it for a good price in a second hand shop located nearby, so he did not have to carry it for too long. He said "vem bryr sig" (who cares) when asking if he was satisfied with his decision of the bookcase.
Tuesday. Konstfack
Tuesday 8th March, Konstfack. Room S4. at 9.00. It is in the main corridor, but if you will have any problem to find it- ask on the reception.
Fieldwork #2 Billy is your Friend
On Monday February 28th, 2011, I road the bus from Stockholm University to the home of Raoul Galli in the Kungsholmen neighborhood of Stockholm Sweden. He agreed to be interviewed about his BILLY bookcase, which he has in the living area of his 2 room apartment that he shares with his teenage daughter. I was not the first observer to visit his home, last year a Stockholm University researcher interviewed him about living alone and the year before that, IKEA Japan and an architecture magazine documented what it was like to live in such a such a small space. I have made a five minute edit of our interview, using scratch audio and iMovie.
Raoul Galli from John Freyer on Vimeo.
6.3.11
Billy and the Asklund family
I have known the Asklund family for about four years. The wife, Trish (40+, housewife), and I met at Stockholm University where we studied anthropology together. When I told her that I was looking for people who have Billy bookcases in their homes, she responded swiftly, “We have a number of Billy bookcases. Bo (41, software engineer) has been a long time owner, his parents too. He grew up with them; they were new to me when I came to Sweden [Trish is from the United States] that should make for some good sampling for you. Let me know when you want to get together.” So I paid them a visit on a Sunday afternoon in anticipation of some good stories. And I wasn’t disappointed.Billy on Facebook
When I look after Billy on Facebook I find this, he has his own sajt and you can be a friend to him if you want to:-)
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001116196544&ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/people/Billy-Bookcase/100000020672624
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001116196544&ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/people/Billy-Bookcase/100000020672624
Jessica’s Billies Jessica Svenningson is a 23-year old student of marketing in her final master's year. She has moved to Stockholm from Göteborg two and a half years ago. What brought her to Stockholm was a wish to live in a bigger city and master studies were a good excuse for that. Billy bookcase that she bought in Göteborg moved with her into the student campus Lappskärrsberget (Lappis). She now lives in a one room apartment with her own bathroom but shared kitchen and dining area.
The Billig Billy
The floor plan of Felix's apartment.
"Billy pronouns like 'billig', which means cheap in Swedish." Anu Mai, Felix's mother.
Felix, twenty-seven years old, is a master student. He is fond of Chinese cultures. He studied in Beijing for two years few years ago and has been to Hong Kong as an exchange student for half a year. Felix lives with his mother, Anu Mai, who is teaching economics at Stockholm University. Felix has an elder brother, who is now married and moved to Göteborg.
Mykea
"Say NO to NAKED Furniture" is the slogan behind the web site Mykea; the creative way of covering up the nakedness of Ikea furniture!
http://www.thisismykea.com/
http://www.thisismykea.com/
'Billy' the bookcase interview
It was really a new experience for me, because I never made an interview before. First of all I faced with a challenge to find a person who owns ‘Billy’. Lots of my friends have a furniture from IKEA, but not so many of them got ‘Billy’.(or probably they just don’t know if their bookcase is ‘Billy’ or not).After I found a particular interviewee I decided to prepare a checklist of questions which I was interested in and as it was advised in the article ‘Doing Ethnographies’. Now analyzing the process of my interview I can definitely say that I made the main mistake that was mentioned in the article – I got stuck to the questions that I prepared and it prevented me of building a fluent discussion. One more point -it was impossible to come to the place where my friends’ ‘Billy’ was, because it is his parents’ apartment and he wasn’t sure that it would be proper to come there. Our interview took place at one of the Konstfack seminar rooms.During interview I was trying to record and filming as well which made me feel even more nervous than my interviewee, but as it is said- skills come with the experience so here is my ‘first try’ interview.
What Billy can represent you...?
Lars Karlsson-Liljas/ 29years/ Swedish/ Co-teacher at Adult Education Centre (Mostly for Immigrant People) and Contemporary History Student of Södertörn University
Lars has a full-size Billy bookcase in Oak colour, which has been in this apartment before he moved in. It has been placed in the living room besides the wall and staircase to the 1st floor.
He told me, his sister was the one who bought this Billy Bookcase years before. She and her husband had used it for a couple of years until they had another bookcase to replace for their own reason.
Interview Billy
Before I did the interview I read Cook & Crangs tips! I did not have to shape my own field as I know I should interview and invent a friend's Billy Bookcase. Not at all easy, it turned out. None of my friends in Stockholm had a Billy Bookcase. I then rang a friend's parent, who accepted!Before the interview I made a guide, which would be supportive to me and I was inspired by my own bookcase inventory, our discussions and what I've seen in our blog from our own personal bookcase inventories! I took the course description of our field work with me and my own bookcase inventory, to show what we do and what I was interested to talk about. I brought a charged camera, tape recorder with extra batteries and extra tapes - all according to hints from Cook & Crangs. I also bought a semla! The interview could start!
The Meaning of Billy
We bask in the sleepy afternoon sunlight of a late February day. The blåmes flit amongst the bare branches of the hedge that frames the snug patio and filter the gold and gossamer rays that illuminate the warm cherry veneer and faded leather covers of Anders’ personal library. Jasmine tea suffuses the air and the whole atmosphere speaks of spring as opposed to the lingering traces of an exceptional winter. “Epistemology is one of the most important subjects anyone could know. I think it should be a mandatory part of any education. It would only take a single term to know everything there is to know about it, but I think it is necessary to understand epistemology to be good at any other discipline, regardless of its application.”
This is a well known argument of his; I have heard it many times.
5.3.11
'IKEA' song
Jonathan Coulton - Ikea
Long ago in days of yore
It all began with a god named Thor
There were Vikings and boats
And some plans for a furniture store
It’s not a bodega, it’s not a mall
And they sell things for apartments smaller than mine
As if there were apartments smaller than mine
Long ago in days of yore
It all began with a god named Thor
There were Vikings and boats
And some plans for a furniture store
It’s not a bodega, it’s not a mall
And they sell things for apartments smaller than mine
As if there were apartments smaller than mine
4.3.11
The Ol' Switch-a-Roo
In 1960 legendary film producer David O. Selznick was posed with a major problem. He needed 10,000 extras for a fight scene in the epic Spartacus. The scene was fast approaching but he was already over budget on what was to be the most expensive movie ever made at that point. Today all he would have to do is call one guy in New Zealand, whose software, Massive, would sort it out in a few minutes, a la Lord of The Rings. However Selznick had an even better idea. Instead of 'hiring' the extras, as was standard practice, he took out a full page advert 'offering' the chance to appear in his Hollywood blockbuster by paying only 10 dollars! People clamoured to do it. Thereby making him a lot of money and a wry chuckle at the whims of people. A few years later Mr. Ikea had a very similar idea. Instead of paying people to make his furniture, he would convince people to pay him so they could make it for him. Genius.
3.3.11
Fieldtrip to Ikea.(Get the Billy!)
It was last thursday 24 Barbara and I went to Ikea. We met at Segels torg and went to Gallerian to take the shuttle bus, but we found that the bus stop was moved. We ran to the new place and were able to catch the bus. We arrived at Ikea 20 mins later, and the building seemed really big as always. As we hadn'thad lunch, we kicked off the trip with having lunch first.Goethe got it wrong but Bieber got it right away
Yellow
Goethe's 'Theory of Colour' advocated both Yellow and Blue as the First colours of the spectrum, largely due to the agency of sun and sky alike. While no doubt pleasing to Swedes and Ikea executives Goethe was a little premature in that assertion as Newton subsequently proved. These fans of Justin Bieber give credence to the fact that Yellow is the first colour the eye sees. Blog post by the mum below
2.3.11
The bookcase invetory
This is my ”bookshelf “, I found it in a container close to the wood workshop, at Konstfack, University College of Arts, Crafts and Design. I am often looking in to this container, when I am passing by, you never know what kind of treasures it contains. I do live quite temporary, I have lived in this apartment since October and the contract was until 15. January, but now the contract changed so, now the contract are until July.
I would say that the content of the furniture’s in my “home” is influence by that I am ready to move easily and without taking the content of my “home” with me. The content of my “home” is found, bought at flea markets, second hand stores or in IKEA.
Even thought the bookshelf is simple, the function and purpose of storing is fulfilled for my needs. The content of the bookshelf is primarily books, most of them was brought with me, as I moved to Stockholm. A few books has arrived after moving in, some was given to me as Christmas presents, two of them are Swedish detective books which I found, tree of them bought, which is a book about robots and spaceship and one graphic book from a artist. There are two books about Sweden, four books is Japanese, which is from a Japanese photograph that photo documented homes and interior in different countries. I have one sketchbook and tree books that concerned theoretical reading about my field, six books are different kind of books that I use for inspiration. On the top of the shelf, a money bank is placed, it is a chocolate made out of ceramic.
The shelf space itself is not technically a bookshelf but when you don't technically have a book collection then that is perhaps a moot point. The Nuer book somehow smuggled itself from Ireland, my college library to be exact, and I pay 5kr a day in fines to look at it. The cover that is. I am hatching a plan for its deportation. The Anti book is the only one I purposely brought with me from Ireland. It was meant to be airplane reading but the Ryanair magazine was read back to front, twice, instead. Combined the books sum up my current interests pretty well. And this module I guess. The bottom shelf sums up my lack of interest pretty well. Cleaning. Though I highly recommend the W5 wipes. Magic. I'm not sure about the Color detergent as me and the washing machine have different opinions on what it should do with the powder. The machine appears to be in rehab.The shelf and its sparse nature generally bring a smile to my face. Its refreshing to unencumbered with stuff, to be free of its limiting magnetic pull. I could move house in ten minutes tops. I guess it also speaks of poverty and the pdf. Both of which I've got used to since returning to college. I don't foresee any additions to the shelf, in fact I reckon the Color will go under the sink soon, the Nuer will return to its natural habitat, which will leave me neatly with the Aesthetic and the Antiseptic.
Bookcase inventory
Top Shelf:
Two books - 'Nuer Religion' by E.E. Evans-Pritchard and 'The Anti-Aesthetic'- Essays on Postmodern Culture edited by Hal Foster. As both are seminal works in their respective fields it is no surprise that we find some cross referencing to our Billy course.
Neur Religion, a significant ethnographic study in terms of approach and insight, is referenced in the 'Doing Ethnography' article by Cook/Crang, and Robert Venturi/Learning from Las Vegas is referred to in at least two out of the nine essays in the Anti-Aesthetic.
Bottom Shelf:
Color by COOP and W5 Multi-Surface Wipes
This bottom shelf can be seen perhaps as a homage to our Vegas investigations. The intense spectral chromosity of the COOP Color Box and the bright yellow of the W5 grabbing our visual attention a la details from the cover image of 'Learning from Las Vegas' (and Ikea itself). Or perhaps not.
My Bookcase Inventory
I have an KILBY bookcase from IKEA that I bought two months ago after moving to my new student room, because I didn’t have enough space for keeping my objects.
First shelf from top:
Books ( Exhibition design, sketching, some design related books in Persian, my favorite Persian poet books) , Catalogues , Dictionaries and two English grammar books, Two decorative candles(made by my friend) , Cube puzzle that I bought at Vatican museum.
Second shelf:
Notebooks, Two IKEA boxes (one for markers and the other one for color pencils, watercolor, brushes and pastels)
Third floor:
one cosmetic bag (for keeping my hair accessories) , two small boxes (the pink one for the cosmetics that I don't use so often and the black one for jewelry), Two black small boxes of jewelry, some lotions, hair cosmetics, perfume,...
Fourth floor:
Four file holders ( for brochures, printed articles, documents and sketches) , two cameras and their battery charger.
Fifth floor:
Iron, Basket for keeping my hair dryer and curling iron.
1.3.11
IKEA Visit Schedule from our Host
FRIDAY MARCH 4th
10.00 AM IKEA-Bus from Vasagatan 18 (in opposite of the central station) It's the fastest and most convenient way to get there.
10.30 Arrival At IKEA. We meet up with you in the entrance. Guided tour of the store.
12.00 Meatball lunch
13.00 – 14.00 BILLY sales floor and Self Serve area visit in 2 groups.
14.30 Departure with the IKEA Bus
We will be happy to supply you all with a free meatballs meal for lunch.
10.00 AM IKEA-Bus from Vasagatan 18 (in opposite of the central station) It's the fastest and most convenient way to get there.
10.30 Arrival At IKEA. We meet up with you in the entrance. Guided tour of the store.
12.00 Meatball lunch
13.00 – 14.00 BILLY sales floor and Self Serve area visit in 2 groups.
14.30 Departure with the IKEA Bus
We will be happy to supply you all with a free meatballs meal for lunch.
Round table: Hierarchy is displayed through seating arrangement in the "Chinese culture"
You can find hierarchies even with a round table though I agree with Anders that there's collective equality in terms of the space each person consumes.
The Chinese host will be at the head of the table and he/she will be facing the entrance. Don't take the wrong seat ;)
28.2.11
My Bookcase Inventory
Here is my student apartment, as you can see at the other pictures it is a lot of books from my courses.
The boxes you see on the picture is from IKEA where I keep some of my DVD:s. Beside some books of the tryologi of Lord of the Ring and the first one is A hoobit story which I read now and also a book about whiskey and some more books.
Books are part of the a student life. Here are books and articles from anthropology, economics, ethnology and my studies in MENA (Middle East and North Africa studies)
A cheata from a trip to Tanzania and a diploma from running Marathon in Stockholm 5 times
27.2.11
Swedish book shelf inventory
The emptiness of my book shelf says that I am new in this town/country. So the book shelf does not really function as a thing for putting the certain books that I have read would like to read or will never read. But then it is the question what do I need it for? I don't mind being it just empty as it was so I know that I can put there things that I don't need or things that I have the story to tell about. My book shelf is for exhibiting objects which have certain interrelations that I am connected with. The first thing on the second shelf from the left is the bottle of Swedish mineral water:When you hold a new bottle of Ramlösa in your hand, it represents 70 years of work. 70 years is the time it takes for plain drops of water to seep through the earth's crust to the spring (The excerpt from the advertisement).
Next to the bottle I placed the book of the Swedish artists Goldin and Senneby "Headless" because I got the bottle during their work presentation in the posh business center in Stureplan. Then you can see the other plastic bottle of juice that is I think familiar to all Swedish people and this is the bottle that I spend all my last money for. The other thing is the tape that I bought because I needed to stick my name on the flat door as if I want to get the letters from my friends and family even in this internet era. The last thing on the shelf is the letter that was traveling one month it is a long time for the letter from Lithuania. Well that is why I needed the tape. The second shelf is for the hard bread package and the lamps that save the energy. Both packages have green and white colors and both things can save the world.
The next shelf is with the book of the routes and maps of Stockholm that my father gave me but the problem is I dont have the car though I like the idea that someday I could give it to someone.
Next to that very "useful" book is very useful newspaper "Sundbyberg" that I use for viewing the pictures and learning Swedish. And the last thing is my black shoes. When I came to Stockholm I noticed that almost all people here love wearing "Converse" shoes so I bought something similar but cheaper in "HM" store. It is my symbol of adopting the city.
Bookcase=Cupboard( inventory of a personal bookshelf)
I could hardly name this piece of furniture that is located in my room a bookcase. It is more look like cupboard ( I call it ‘ Back to USSR’ because this kind of dark massive wooden ‘coffins’ were really fashionable in my country during 70s. People usually stored there different ‘honor’ kitchen stuff, like set of porcelain cups or rarity crystal vases.)
For the reason that it is my ‘temporary’ home I am trying not to collect lots of stuff, so this cupboard is quite empty, but still…
First floor (section with glass doors). books and catalogs :
‘ Red Star Over Russia’ David King ( I bought in Moderna Museet Bookshop, Stockholm, first of all I was surprised that this museum have a whole room dedicated to Russian Soviet Poster Art, second reason- I am a great fan of “the beginning of 20thcentury” Russian art).
‘Red Book’ David Shirley (graphic works)
‘Black and White’ Andrei Nakov (I bought it at his lecture dedicated to Malevich’s art, again here in Stockholm)
Guide-book around Stockholm in Russian (a present from my friend, got it before I left)
‘ Diamond Fond Treasury” catalog of the exhibition(1971). Got it from my friend at Konstfack. She found it at home and decided to give me as a present “just because it is in Russian” ©
‘The Collector. HDK’ catalog of the HDK school from the Furniture Fair.
‘Supermarket . The Artistic-run Magazine’.
Catalog from Moderna Museet
Some paper trash: letters, postcard, brochures, printed documents, Stockholm map.
Scissors and silver ribbon (still there since Christmas).
Second floor
Sketch book, some pens, brushes, ink pen, ruler, Moleskine
Paper trash again: printed articles, flight tickets( don’t know for what I still keep it), notes
2 folders with documents ( 
passport, insurance, ‘ Swedish’ Personal Number confirmation and etc)।
Middle section (between Glass doors-section and bottom section):
Two books from the Konstfack library: Graphic novels comic book “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ by Joanna Rubin Dranger and ‘Mr.Kenneth’ by Emelie Ostergren.
Dvd ‘ Scenes From A Marriage’ by Ingmar Bergman (also borrowed one).
Disk drive for my net book, three empty CDs, a pack of wipes ( for my laptop screen surface),
Booster-charges for my camera and mobile phone
Headphones
Bottom section : Back pack -always ready to ‘leg it’
Just noticed –there is something like a straw mat on the top of the cupboard. (not mine)
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