The pictures will be taken between 6pm and midnight for seven days of spring. About a hundred photographers are expected to participate. Some of them will be sent out on specific missions to hospitals, dance halls or workplaces, whereas others will have free rein and will be asked to contribute freely. Jeppe Wikström pledged to have a geographical and thematic spread. Later, a jury will decide which images will be included in the book.
According to Linda Forsell, one of the contributors to the project who has lived and worked in the US for many years, the Americans' picture of Sweden is somewhat fuzzy.
"In New York, you most often meet people who see Sweden as a role model. In other parts of the United States, sometimes the extreme opposite is true, with people referring to Sweden and communism in the same breath," Linda Forsell told Dagens Nyheter.
After having reached its crowd-funding target on Kickstarter only within half a day, the project is expected to result in a book in English and Swedish to be sent to members of the US Congress and the European Parliament. Ironically, the first copy will be send to the unwilling inspiration behind the project — US President Donald Trump himself.
The name of the project, "Last Night in Sweden — The True Story," is itself a jibe at the US President, who in February unintentionally gave rise to the online meme #LastNightinSweden with his unclear claims that something "was happening last night" in the Nordic country. Later, Trump insisted that he was referring to rising migrant crime in general and not to any particular incident. However, his taunt was partially redeemed by the violent migrant riots that broke out in Stockholm later the same day.
Wikström is known for his involvement in similar projects like A Day in the World (2012) and A Day in the Life of Sweden (2003).
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