Two Ships

Two Ships references the twin city plans and canal systems of Gothenburg and Batavia (Jakarta)—both built by Dutch city planners in the 1620s—and the 1852 hurricane that struck Saint Barthélemy during Swedish colonial rule. In the work, the colonial trading histories of the three places are interwoven by evoking the winds moving through them, carrying ships, slaves, seeds, and storms. The narrator reflects on the ecological manifestations of colonial violence, connecting the historical commodification of nature with contemporary environmental disaster. The textiles, whose colour and scent fade with time, are printed with pigments from plants and spices used as colonial commodities.The soundscape references two historical trade shipsthat were deployed by Scandinavian East and West India Companies, caught in storms, and shipwrecked outside Gothenburg.

Commissioned by Gothenburg Biennale 2021, Kunstinstituut Melly 2022. Supported through collaboration with IASPIS, the Swedish Arts Council’s international program for image and form. With support of the Embassy of Canada in Sweden.