Spirit of Emelia Open Day at Åland Sjökvarteret
Swedish Australian artist Danelle Bergstrom with the Emelia Foundation, coordinated an Open Day Musical Experience on Saturday 2 September at Åland Sjökvarteret, to celebrate the community-led shipbuilding project.
As the only ship of this scale currently being built in the Nordic region, perhaps the last one to be built in our lifetime and most probably the last ship built in Åland, Danelle wanted to draw attention to what has become something of an historic project. Taking the unique beauty of the half-constructed vessel as a starting point, she came up with the innovative idea of a musical event, collaborating with local musicians.
“I’ve been working on an exhibition for the last two years, called Spirit of Emelia which is inspired by the building of this historical ship at the Sjökvarteret. It will feature around 100 portraits and paintings of the remarkable shipbuilding process and everyone who’s been involved in her construction. But witnessing the skill and dedication of these master shipbuilders and the enthusiasm with which the local community has supported the project just made me want to do more. To create something magical to honour this age old tradition.
The beauty and scale of the ship in its current state with the hull and ribs exposed, just lends itself to something unique and dramatic!”
With this in mind and a small window of opportunity with which to open the space up to the public before construction re-commenced, Danelle made the bold decision to invite musicians to play in the hull of the ship, adding yet another layer of creativity to the project.
With a capacity limit of 50 people at any given time, visitors were able to observe from the viewing platform surrounding the hull and look down on the musicians below to be immersed in an atmospheric soundscape. Not only showcasing a truly extraordinary project and the craftspersons and musicians of Åland, this Open Day was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity adding cultural significance to this historical event.
The Emelia ship build project has been made possible with the passion, dedication and generosity of sponsors, donations and volunteers. Everyone participating at the Open Day also donated their time and skills to the project.
Danelle will be continuing her involvement, with an exhibition of portraits and paintings from the project scheduled for 2025 at Åland Konstmuseum. You can follow her progress here.
