“The Gulf of Guinea Speaks” Art Intervention marks World Maritime Day
As part of activities to mark the 2026 World Maritime Day and the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Danish Maritime Security Program for the Gulf of Guinea, the Royal Danish Embassy Accra presented “The Gulf of Guinea Speaks”, a site‑specific art intervention held at the Ambassador’s Residence in Accra. Under the theme “From Policy to … The post “The Gulf of Guinea Speaks” Art Intervention marks…
The Royal Danish Embassy in Accra presented "The Gulf of Guinea Speaks" as part of World Maritime Day celebrations and the 10th anniversary of the Danish Maritime Security Program for the region. This site-specific art intervention, curated by Fang Wang (Fang W. Linulf) and Essé Dabla-Attikpo, featured three commissioned artworks by Ghanaian artists Patrick Tagoe-Turkson, Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku, and Fang W. Linulf.
The theme, "From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence," aimed to provide human-centered perspectives to diplomatic maritime-security discussions.
Ghanaian artist Patrick Tagoe-Turkson repurposed beach-collected plastic flip-flops for mixed-media assemblages, addressing marine waste and coastal heritage. Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku created monumental installations from salvaged second-hand textiles, highlighting waste colonialism and global trade pollution. Fang W. Linulf's large-scale floor work, a 100 sqm print, merged ocean imagery with maritime geographic data, allowing visitors to physically stand upon mapped Gulf of Guinea ocean geography.
The art intervention went beyond official reports, using sensory visual storytelling to emphasize ocean ecology, coastal-community realities, and the human side of maritime governance. Co-curators Fang W. Linulf and Essé Dabla-Attikpo emphasized that art uncovered human and material stories often missing from official documents. By transforming discarded materials into art, they gave visibility to hidden narratives.
Patrick Tagoe-Turkson explained that discarded flip-flops and textiles washed onto Ghana's shores held cultural memories, and transforming waste into art advocated for the ocean and coastal heritage. Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku highlighted that the textiles he used represented physical evidence of waste colonialism and unequal global supply chains.
The exhibition attracted maritime practitioners, diplomats, and industry stakeholders, creating a platform for experiencing maritime realities through sensory, material, and visual perspectives. This raised public awareness through artistic practice, marking World Maritime Day.
Written by urgent.news from Ghanaian Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
