Twelve artworks will be painted on building façades along a 21-kilometre art trail stretching from Blå Stället cultural centre in Angered to Röda Sten art centre in Klippan. The art trail – the world’s longest – is scheduled for completion by the city’s 400th anniversary. This initiative, which is part of Let’s Colour Gothenburg, has the dual aim of uniting the various areas of the city and creating job opportunities by training unemployed young people in the painting industry. The first artworks are already in progress, and by the autumn five of them will be completed in various locations in the city.

Of the 290 entries in the Gothenburg Art 21 competition, twelve winning entries have been selected. The winners include local and international artists. During spring and summer of 2018, five of the artworks will be painted by unemployed youths in Let’s Colour Gothenburg’s training scheme.

The first artwork, “Gothenburg United”, is already finished and can be seen on Andra Långgatan in Masthugget. It depicts a tram as a symbol of Gothenburg, and the artist is Linda Ljungblad from Sweden.

A second painting, of a large blue bird, is currently taking shape in its new home on a building façade in Hjällbo. This work, entitled “We Are Nature”, is made by the artist Thiago Mazza from Brazil.

The third artwork, “The Lost Paradise” by Peruvian artist Isaac Barreda, won the diamond prize in the competition and will be painted in Gamlestaden in June. The artist will personally join the youths in Gothenburg to paint the large artwork.

“Horizon Child” by Gothenburg artist DIVE and “Nature Dust” (another diamond winner) by Llefen Carrera, also from Gothenburg, will be painted later in the summer during the Gothenburg Culture Festival.

Let’s Colour Gothenburg is run by the regional painting contractors’ association Måleriföretagen i Väst, in collaboration with Gothenburg’s 400-year anniversary 2021 and the Swedish Public Employment Service.