But the decision in Kristianstad municipality’s art committee was not unanimous.

– I can’t go along with buying a bench for 290,000 crowns. It’s the taxpayers’ money we’re using, says Carl Henrik Nilsson (SD).

He chose to abstain from voting on the decision.

Villaskolan will soon be ready. In accordance with the municipality’s rules one per cent of the cost of the building , in this case 290,000 crowns, should be used for artistic decoration.

There were three suggestions to choose between when politicians and two rectors made their choice. It fell on ’Modified Social Bench’ in aluminium by Jeppe Hein, who lives in Berlin.

290,000 crowns is a lot for a bench, isn’t it?

– It isn’t just a bench. It’s an artistic interpretation that plays on the idea of a bench, is the answer we get from Ulrika Cedell, head of culture and leisure in the municipality.

She is pleased with the choice.

– It’s fantastic that Kristianstad municipality’s art collection is getting an object by an internationaly-acclaimed artist, and that it will be placed in a school. I’m proud of that, she says.

But the decision has given rise to a lot of discussion, both in Kristianstadsbladet and in the social media.