Mini creations by 'Anonymouse' Swedish artists finally go from street to museum

After nine years scurrying in the shadows, the two-person Swedish street art collective known as "Anonymouse" - dubbed "Banksy Mouse" by Swedish media-has finally stepped out of the dark and into a museum exhibition.

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The mystery began in late 2016 when miniature homes and businesses, all measuring well below knee height, began appearing on the streets of southern Sweden. It looked like a bunch of mice had opened a tiny restaurant named “Il Topolino” and a neighbouring nut delicatessen “Noix de Vie.” There was no clue as to who created them besides a signature from anonymous artist group “Anonymouse.” The following years saw more mouse homes and businesses appear in unexpected places: First in Sweden, then all over the world from the UK to Canada.

The original creation on Bergsgatan, a busy street in Malmö, quickly attracted attention and went viral, drawing crowds. The project was even featured on the popular US TV show “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” The two artists behind the whiskery art project stepped out of their anonymity earlier this year. Swedes Elin Westerholm and Lupus Nensén both work in show business, making props and sets for film and television. “The sweet part is that we're building something for children. Most of us have some kind of relationship to a world where mice live parallel to ours,” said Nensén, citing numerous child-focused fairy tales.