Hertsön

Luleåbiennalen 2024 – On the threshold of 1:1 addresses the profound changes in Norrbotten’s built and natural environments by bringing together artistic and architectural perspectives. These positions not only explore the region but also establish connections to other places and communities globally undergoing similar processes. Emphasising empowering practices and alternatives emerging from contexts of profound transformations, Luleåbiennalen 2024 unfolds within and outside exhibition spaces, including Luleå’s Ice Road and the neighbourhood of Hertsön. Both locations embody processes of transformation and transition highlighted by the biennial, showcasing the interconnectedness of natural, built and social environments.

During the winter of 2023-24, artist Fadlabi transformed Luleå’s Ice Road wind shelters with vibrant colours, intricate patterns, and calligraphy inspired by his Sudanese roots. In spring, after the ice has melted, these colourful structures have been repurposed and installed in the neighbourhood of Hertsön in Luleå.

The transformation of these existing structures references Sudanese forms of community care for both the living and the deceased. In Sudanese tradition, charitable acts in remembrance of the departed are believed to benefit their souls. These acts may include improving communal infrastructure such as water supply systems, roads, or sun shelters. Often, these projects bear the names of the deceased, serving as lasting acknowledgments and calligraphic ornaments.

Amid ongoing conflicts in Sudan and worldwide, Fadlabi pays homage to those who have passed while giving a new life to the wind shelters, a simple infrastructure with cultural and recreational significance for Luleå. In Hertsön, these structures are reconfigured and gain a new purpose, marking the threshold between a civic public space and a construction site. The colourful installation breathes new life into previously unused spaces, and also brings attention to an area of the city undergoing rapid transformations.

Fadlabi dedicates this artwork to his deceased mentor, Norwegian novelist Nils Amund Raknerud, extending his homage to all those who seek shelter from the wind. By combining personal reverence with civic care, Fadlabi expands the concept of shelter beyond physical protection, portraying it as an act of collective responsibility toward one another and to those who are no longer with us.

– Aude Christel Mgba & Bruno Alves de Almeida
Artistic Directors, The Luleå Biennial 2024 – On the Threshold of 1:1

Translation of the texts in the artwork:

Love is generous
For the soul of Nils Amund Raknerud
For the love of people and to protect their bodies from wind