The cultural policies of the Nordic welfare states from the 1930s onwards mark a paradigmatic shift in the conditions under which the arts operate. This volume explores the historical and discursive ramifications of this process, and its impact on the place of art and literature in the Nordic ideal of modernity. As the contributors testify, cultural policy and the arts were integral to the conception and configuration of the welfare state apparatus, rather than merely serving an ornamental function within it. The thirteen articles, representing a wide range of disciplines and approaches, provide a multifaceted exposition of the relation between artistic practices and politics in above all the Swedish welfare state. By surpassing the traditional scope of literary and visual studies, cultural policy studies, and sociology, as well as urban and environmental studies, this anthology provides a stepping stone for future research.