“We at The Whale and Andøy Municipality would like to thank you for the collaboration with Bodø 2024 throughout the year,” said Benn Eidissen, Chair of The Whale, during the opening of the pop-up exhibition Oceans of Hope – Children’s Hopes for the Ocean in downtown Bodø on Thursday afternoon.
Eidissen reflected on the 100-page application Bodø submitted five years ago to become European Capital of Culture, highlighting a poignant line:
“The opening will take place on Saturday, January 13, the day Andenes – and thus all of Nordland – regains the sun.”
A symbolic start
This promise was fulfilled when The Whale, Andøy Municipality, Vesterålsrådet, Teaterklubb’81, and Bodø 2024 hosted a light festival and prelude to the cultural capital year in Andenes on that exact day.
Henrik Sand Dagfinrud honored
“It was Henrik Sand Dagfinrud, Program Director of Bodø 2024, who wrote those lines about Andenes in the application. It was especially meaningful to honor him during the opening,” said Eidissen.
“We want to thank you and Bodø 2024 for including the entire county in this extraordinary cultural year,” he added during the event, where Sand Dagfinrud was present.
Cultural contributions of Andøya
“Andøya’s cultural scene is widely recognized for creating remarkable experiences in a relatively small community. This has been exemplified throughout the year. Not only do they deliver high-quality experiences, but they also have a knack for bringing the world to Nordland,” said Dagfinrud.
Following the light
With the cultural year’s theme focusing on the journey of light in Nordland, it was natural for Andøy to take a central role, and the collaboration exceeded expectations, according to Dagfinrud.
Youth leading the way
This week, the Nordland Youth Council gathered in Bodø, with around 100 participants from across the county. The exhibition was officially opened by the council’s chair, Emma-Sofie Olafsen from Narvik.
“We are delighted that this exhibition is being displayed in Bodø as part of the conclusion of the cultural capital year,” said Olafsen.
Eidissen took the opportunity to thank the Youth Council, recalling their 2022 statement of support for The Whale:
“This simply must become a reality! This project will put Andøya, Nordland, and Northern Norway on the map and draw visitors from around the globe. It will teach us about the life of whales in the ocean – on land – and inspire both children and adults to respect the environmental impact of how we live.”
Shared whale heritage
The exhibition Oceans of Hope showcases photos and quotes from 25 children from Norway and Portugal. “The children we meet in Children’s Hopes are from Andøy, in the far north of Lofoten and Vesterålen, and São Miguel, in the southernmost part of the Azores. Both places are deeply connected through the ocean and whales, with shared whaling traditions and growing whale-watching tourism,” said Camilla Ilmoni from The Whale.
The sperm whales migrating between these ocean regions unite the two communities in efforts to protect the ocean.
The exhibition was transformed on Friday into a window display viewable from the sidewalk outside Sjøgata 20, where it will remain through November.
