A refugee ship

touching at your harbour

Among beautiful vintage boats and flashy yachts people suddenly notice a vessel filled to the bursting point with 70 immigrants (copper sculptures). A surprising, almost anachronistic element: A boatload of refugees in the middle of the harbour idyllic.

Closely they stand on the bridge; they stand on the steering house roof and the tray of the cutter. On the top of the boat derrick is a giant face in copper evoking our world's moral obligation to our fellow species in the south that are born into a life of hopeless poverty. A banner between the masts indicates the number ‘2015’.

On the quay, an exhibition tent is established and an information stall. Again, there are banners, which indicate the UN flag. Some of the most beautiful but also very intimidating refugee sculptures placed around the pier and near the tent, others will be placed at the town square.

It is the sculptor Jens Galschiot who has decorated the Living Sea cutter, 'M / V Anton' so it appears as a refugee ship filled to the brim with boat people.

Galschiot’s vision is a seaward surprise attack on the Danish public amidst the perfect idyll. The artistic production of immigrant’s tragedy through dramatic arts will penetrate the information wall that surrounds generally benevolent and well meaning people.

By arranging a quite extraordinary event - a surprising event – the project is considered to make the rich-poor / north-south conflict present. To open the way for a recognition that we all have a moral responsibility to act, like exhibitions and publications show the way toward positive responses on the individual, the Danish society and the global society.

The described campaign with the 'Refugee Ship' will be an important contribution to the overall campaign which is affiliated the Project Council and the NGO Forum which will be accomplished in summer / autumn 2010 and spring of 2011.

The cutter while showing the arts, will simultaneously put up an exhibition tent, and an information tent, as well as benches, flags, and banners in the different harbours.

It is planned to visit Danish ports in connection to cultural events gathering plenty of people. There will be printed posters and flyers, which are handed out to the audience at the harbour.

Press: We expect wide media coverage both in the local press and the nationwide media through Jens Galschiot’s pictorial form of communication. The poster / information leaflet included in the project is designed so that it also relevant even after the campaign.

Galschiot assumes press duty of the project, and the launch on his local mail list in Denmark, approx. 6,000 persons and the production of posters and sculpture decoration.

Specific comments on the decoration: Specifically Galschiot will produce approx. 70 unique copper sculptures with mainly African and Asian features, a bust consisting of head and shoulders. The bust is placed on a pole set on the deck, the rest of the refugee body will consist of a dress that hangs down from the sculpture. The sculptures are of various sizes from 1.5 to 2.5 m high with clothes.

This sculpture design that Galschiot also used during the COP15 meeting at the Bella Center (10 meters high) gives some very vivid sculptures because of the movement of the cloth. At the same time it becomes possible to create many sculptures within an economically acceptable framework.

The sculptures are not heavy and can easily be moved up on the quayside and worn around and exhibited in the town during the event.

The production duty of the sculptures, the decorations, and parts of the poster and press work is assumed by Galschiot’s workshop.

The Living Sea has invited all the grassroots who feel something about the problem of poverty and the global imbalance, both environmentally and socially, to participate in the project. It is hoped that local NGOs will back the event and use the event to talk about their activities and participate in the debate. All who wish to participate or suggest that the 'Refugee ship' arrives in their town can contact Knud from Living Sea at this number: +45 2048 7421. He is coordinator of the project.

Contact:
Photo and info about refugee ship: www.aidoh/UN2015
Jens Galschiot, Banevaenget 22, DK-5270 Odense N, phone number: +45 6618 4058

E-mail: aidoh@aidoh.dk, Info: www.aidoh.dk

Coordinator of the project and skipper of M / V Anton

Knud Andersen, phone number +45 2048 7421
E-mail: llh@levende-hav.dk, info: www.levendehav.dk