Room 138 by Mark Dion

During the first weeks of April 2026, American artist Mark Dion transformed Room 138 in the SSE main building into an installation that turns the classroom itself into a subject of inquiry. The space, which seats 40 students, is the school’s ninth art classroom and part of the SSE permanent collection.

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Mark Dion working in the room, April 2026, together with assisting artists Harry Anderson and Josef Jägnefält.
Photo: Tinni Ernsjöö Rappe

Throughout his practice, Dion has examined how dominant ideologies and public institutions shape our understanding of history, knowledge, and the natural world. His work interrogates how institutions—such as natural history museums, universities, and economic systems—construct and legitimise knowledge. A classroom within an academic institution like SSE is therefore a fitting environment for his exploration—while also offering a space for students to reflect on and develop their own understanding in a time often described as a post-truth society.

Drawing on methods from archaeology, field ecology, and museum practices, Dion collects, classifies, and displays objects in ways that question the assumed objectivity and authority of the scientific voice. His installations reveal how pseudo-science, social agendas, and ideology can permeate public discourse and influence how knowledge is produced and understood.

Mark Dion (b. 1961) is an American artist based in Copake, New York. He is represented by Saskia Neuman Gallery.

All art classrooms at the Stockholm School of Economics are conceived as permanent installations that function both as works of art and as active learning environments. Dion’s classroom is the school’s ninth such space.

The room was made possible thanks to a generous donation by Helene Broms and Håkan Roos.