Voyages

myminifactory

This figure stands out among many others. Gazing out from Victoria Pier (opposite The Deep) is a sculpture unlike any other in the city, so well-hidden that visitors might overlook it altogether. Icelandic artist Steinunn Thorarinsdottir created Voyage, which faces out across the water of the Humber Estuary and beyond. A human figure cast in greenish-blue brass, Voyage looks out in the direction where thousands of Hull trawlermen once traveled to fish in the waters around Iceland.\r\nMore than just a beautiful statue, Voyage signifies an important connection between Hull and the Icelandic communities on the other side of the North Atlantic. In the tiny village of Vik on Iceland's south coast, Voyage's sister sculpture (called For) faces out to sea as well, looking across at the statue in Hull. As a pair, Voyage and For celebrate the unique bond between Hull and Iceland, forged by years of trade and shared seafaring heritage.\r\nPlaced in 2006, the sculptures mark a new link between the UK and Iceland. Years of trade and history between the two countries suffered a setback during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s as the Cod Wars created a rift between them. As Iceland sought to protect its waters, years of disagreement over boundaries and fishing zones led to a lengthy and frustrating fight between the UK and Iceland, with British fishermen at the center of the dispute. The Cod Wars ended in 1976, although the end of the conflict did not bring good news for Hull. With increased restrictions on fishing in Icelandic waters, Hull's fishermen no longer had permission to fish in seas around Iceland, and the fishing industry in Humberside declined.\r\nAlthough this was a devastating loss to fishing communities in Hull, the people of Hull are not ones to hold grudges against their Icelandic neighbors. In recent decades, new trade and investment partnerships between the UK and Iceland have built bridges between these two nations, with Iceland once again becoming one of the UK's most important export markets.\r\nThis renewed friendship is what Voyage embodies in Hull – an optimistic look ahead to the future backed by centuries of history and partnership. As artist Steinunn Thorarinsdottir puts it:\r\n‘Of all the art projects I have been involved with, this has been by far the most special and meaningful. […] I hope the monuments in Hull and Vik are a lasting tribute to the close relationship between our two communities.’