The Malmö Moment: When Communication Gives Something Without Asking For Anything In Return
- Gerben van Niekerk
- Oct 17
- 5 min read
We had only one day in Sweden. Three things will always stick with me travelling north from Helsingborg down to Malmö. Firstly, Lund University is one of the most stunning I have ever seen, a true jewel among the now common, overly AutoCAD-designed structures. Secondly, Swedes are very friendly (especially at Buljong restaurant in Lund, you must try their soup), and thirdly, and most unexpectedly, there was the Malmö train station experience.
I love train stations (though not as much as trams, but that is a post for another day). I am often mesmerised by the grandeur of the departure halls; I can feel the history, imagining throngs of people walking the same paths for a hundred years. However, I will be the first to admit that platforms seldom generate the same emotions. In short, they are, in most cases, unimaginative, dreary, and boring.
We were therefore enthralled to see something novel while sitting on an oddly comfortable platform bench at Malmö station. Against the wall behind the tracks where our Copenhagen-bound train was due to arrive was a projection of moving images one would see through a train window. It was the moving landscape, flowing from right to left. I could follow the scene as it passed the ‘windows.’ It was beautiful, unique, and heart-warmingly enough, without a brand in sight. There was no product placement or CGI of the train taking flight because it had an energy drink. It was just moving images, projected against a grey cement wall.
I feel we live in a world where every communiqué has to have a purpose. What, therefore, was the purpose of these moving images? It turns out this is an art installation called Elsewhere, by Chilean artist Tania Ruiz. The website explains that:
“In this line, the Elsewhere installation makes the waiting time until the arrival of the train more exciting, improving the experience of the public transport user.”
When have we last done something exciting as university communicators or marketers just to improve an experience, something that simply creates a sense of belonging?
The Malmö installation, by transforming a stark concrete wall into an immersive world, created a “friendlier, more inviting atmosphere” for commuters without soliciting a single transaction. This non-transactional generosity (giving students something purely for the sake of joy or reflection) is precisely the kind of gesture that fosters authentic connection. It moves the conversation from institutional branding to student presence, offering a necessary antidote to the pervasive instrumentalism of campus life. This approach, where creative activities serve as a “temporary home” or safe haven, allows students to present the “most authentic version of themselves,” which is foundational to building confidence and persistence in higher education.
When universities focus on aesthetic interventions prioritising feeling over function, they cultivate spaces where students can genuinely feel seen, valued, and at home. Here are compelling examples of how institutions have used unconventional, art-based projects to build this aesthetic architecture of belonging:
Mental Health through Shared Imagery (KAUST)
Recently, Student Counselling Services at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) initiated an art project focused entirely on creating a space for authentic self-expression. They asked students to submit pictures depicting what mental health means to them. These striking, beautiful images were then displayed, creating a more personal and intimate way for the community to view mental health. The purpose was not to market the counselling service itself, but to provide a communal space for creative expression, allowing students to share complex emotions and experiences related to their well-being. Artistic expression, particularly through visual media, can strengthen identity and enable emotional expression, making this project a powerful way to foster self-care and authentic communication within the student body.
The Micro-Gallery of the Self
At the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology runs an annual ATEC Pop-up Locker Exhibition. Students are invited to create site-specific artworks based on themes like isolation and belonging, installing their pieces inside utilitarian lockers (spaces nine inches wide, nine inches high, and thirty-two inches deep). By commissioning art within this confined space, the university structurally reinforces the idea of art as a “safe haven”. The exhibition invites students from all disciplines, including neuroscience and other STEM fields, providing a rare opportunity to display creative work exploring interdisciplinary topics and vulnerability. The deliberate focus on such a small, personal scale ensures that the resulting exhibition is an expression of individual presence, affirming that personal experience matters deeply within the complex university structure.
Claiming Institutional Space through Collaboration
A sense of belonging is often forged through the physical act of claiming space. At Georgia State University (GSU), the university commissioned a vibrant mural along the GSU Blue Line as part of a placemaking initiative. This was not merely institutional decoration but a collaborative endeavour involving 126 first-year art and design students.
The result is an abstract “patchwork quilt,” where the visible mark of each contributing artist is permanently embedded into a high-traffic area south of the library Greenspace. This pedagogical approach, termed “substantiation,” allows students to reinforce their place on campus through material interactions that build self-confidence and enable them to “claim spaces of belonging at university”. The project’s goal, echoing the philosophy of Josef Albers, was simply to “open people’s eyes”, to help students perceive familiar spaces anew. By integrating this non-transactional aesthetic labour into a required Foundations course, the university legitimises the act of artistic creation as fundamental to intellectual growth, not an ancillary, frivolous activity.
The Power of Temporary Transformation
Not all interventions need to be permanent murals or complex video installations. Sometimes, the most meaningful efforts involve transforming the mundane and unsightly. Public placemaking initiatives at some institutions have utilised temporary artistic interventions, such as displaying student art directly on chain-link fences surrounding construction sites. This simple act expands a program’s reach, invites community interaction, and transforms an unavoidable campus “eyesore” into an engaging, temporary backdrop.
This approach embodies resourcefulness and demonstrates an institutional commitment to prioritising the current student experience, proving that art is not an extravagant expense but a flexible tool for elevating daily life, using inexpensive materials to spark innovation.
Ultimately, these projects succeed because they are intentionally non-marketing driven. They are designed to be “fun”, generating positive emotion and building authentic community dialogue. When a university genuinely commits to making students feel at home, the positive visibility, the organic social buzz, and the measurable gains in retention and mental health become a natural, earned byproduct.
The most strategic communication move is often the one that gives something without asking for anything in return.