Voyage

Voyage is a 2 part action and artwork we are developing together with Jenni Laiti across summer 2024-2025. For 3 years as Land Body Ecologies, Laiti and Invisible Flock have been exploring Solastalgia and the mental health impacts of environmental and climate changes in Sápmi.

The Voyage was a cultural intervention born from this research. It is about bearing witness to this shifting fragile ecosystem at a pivotal point in the ecosystems survival, it is asking for the native salmon to return and questions who has the power in the design and implementation of mitigation or adaptation mechanisms.

A communal row relay took place in July 2024 for the members of the Sámi community along the Deatnu River. Community members rowed for the native Atlantic salmon, for the river body and for the future. A continuous 200 km voyage from the upstream of the Deatnu river to the river mouth where the river meets the Arctic Ocean. The river runs along the border of Finland and Norway. The voyage was rowed by 50 people, in 10 -30 km sections of the river that held meaning for each family. Rowing continuously for 2 days and 2 nights, people passed on a traditional Sámi rowing stick, and with it thoughts and wisdoms about the river to each new rower.

In 2025 Laiti and Invisible Flock will return to document the arrival of the arctic and invasive humpback salmon to the Deatnu River.

Images Copyright © Jenni Laiti and Invisible Flock