Presented outside SSE’s main entrance from 1 to 22 October 2020, CO2 Lock-In consisted of balls and chains shaped like carbon dioxide molecules, cast from 100 per cent recycled iron and finished with enamel paint. Each work weighs 300 kilograms. For the 2020 SSE presentation, this was described as representing approximately three weeks of an average Swede’s CO₂ emissions.
A programme of public performances and lunchtime conversations accompanied the installation, with artists, researchers, students and experts temporarily chained to the works while meeting the SSE community and passers-by on Sveavägen.
The project was originally created in 2012 for the global climate action Earth Hour, in collaboration with Bigert & Bergström and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It sought to interrupt the rhythms of everyday production and consumption, creating space for reflection and dialogue around climate responsibility.
