On the 24th of February, 2023, marking the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, artist Ludmila Christeseva launched the year-long project, “Gul&Blå: Hela Sverige Flätar”, at the Sewing and Crafts festival at Stockholmsmässan. Her curatorial goal was to unite people in a creative journey to mark the City Hall’s 100th anniversary. Ukrainian refugees and Swedish families have come together to weave a Swedish flag measuring 6 x 3 meters, with space for everyone to participate.
For Ukrainian refugees, this initiative has become a means to express gratitude for the warmth and friendship they have found in their new home country – Sweden. The project has received generous support from two Swedish companies representing different regions: the North and the South. Trixie Sverige AB has provided nets from Norrfjärden and Borås Cotton, based in Västergötland, has generously donated several meters of blue and yellow textiles. Thousands of individuals have participated in the collective art production, choosing between blue and yellow ribbons and composing messages of peace for Ukraine and the wider world.
The weaving of the Swedish Flag took place in various Swedish cities, including significant national celebrations such as the 100th-year anniversary of Stadshuset, the 400th anniversary of Gothenburg, and the 500th anniversary of Sweden’s independence history in Mariefred. The uniting power of weaving was showcased at important fairs such as Järvaveckan, the Nordic Sustainability Expo, and Folk och Kultur Konvent among others.
Even Swedish citizens living in New York had the opportunity to contribute to the artwork “Gul&Blå: Hela Sverige Flätar” when Ludmila Christeseva shared a number of ribbons among the guests at the reception held at the Swedish Consulate in New York during the fall 2023. One of the guests wrote “Önskar er Fred” (Wishing you peace)” on a blue ribbon. Ludmila Christeseva collected each contribution with pride, incorporating them into the textile creation.
A special chapter is dedicated to the young participants of the project – children who eagerly wrote their dreams in the joint artwork. Their messages such as “I want to be a football player” and “I want to be a doctor” remind us of our responsibility for their future.
On February 24, 2024, the “Gul&Blå: hela Sverige flätar” project was completed at the Folk och Kultur Konvent in Eskilstuna. This artwork is now on display globally, providing people with the opportunity to leaf through thousands of voices for peace. Please do not hesitate to contact us and to showcase the artwork in your museum.
Academic research on the “Gul&Blå: hela Sverige flätar” project includes Uppsala University, Stockholm University, Queensland University of Technology in Australia, Yale University in the USA, and institutions in many other countries.
