Gul & Blå: Hela Sverige Flätar was launched on February 24, 2023, marking the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine. The inauguration, held in conjunction with the City Hall’s 100th anniversary, took place at the Sewing and Crafts Festival at Stockholmsmässan, which drew over 15,000 visitors. This project brought together Ukrainian refugees and Swedish families in a powerful act of unity, weaving a Swedish flag that measured an impressive 6 x 3 meters.
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 the curator 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 set to be completed at the Folk och Kultur convention in Eskilstuna. However, this artwork continues its journey globally, offering people the chance to leaf through thousands of heartfelt messages for peace—and still contribute—because the war in Ukraine is not yet over, and our creative resistance continues.
If you are interested in showcasing this powerful artwork at your museum or event, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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.
The project is supported by Foundation.artten.se
