Meanwhile 1628
The Story of Vasa - a ship lost and found.
Vasa was a Swedish warship built between 1626 and 1628. The Vasa museum in Stockholm is one of the most visited venues in Sweden. By initiating the exhibition ‘Meanwhile Somewhere Else 1628’, the museum took a bold step towards the digitised era, by commissioning an exhibition without objects.
As curator Monika Frelin collaborated with several scientists and experts to create a diverse story of Global history in the first half of the 17th century. A selection of historical and cultural events were presented in an aesthetic setting with films, images and interactive devices.
The work culminated after three years of preparation at the opening of the new exhibition area in 2013. The production holds a special place in our hearts since it was the first time we collaborated as a team, our company MYT AB, is a consequence of our first encounter at the Vasa museum.
A Unique Warship
At the time of Vasa, Sweden was a great power in the north of Europe, conquering land and taking part in warfare. The ship foundered after less than 30 minutes at sea near the harbour in Stockholm where she was built. After being located in the late 1950s, the ship was salvaged in 1961.
Historical Films with a Poetic Touch
The films were developed to work acoustically in the large space, with the aim to create a soothing but also mystical soundscape. The team really made an effort to give the exhibition its own sensory identity. Large scale projections made an important feature in the exhibition and gave the space that final inspiring touch.
LOCATION
Stockholm, Sweden
CLIENT
The Vasa Museum
YEAR
2013 – 2016
SURFACE
500 m2
STATUS
Temporary
Monika Frelin
PRODUCER, CURATOR & DESIGNER
FILM PRODUCTION
Hobi Jarne, Emil Gotthard, Nils Fridén
SOUND DESIGN
Emil Gotthard, Nils Fridén
SCRIPTS
Ulrika Djerw, Maria Rydbrink Raud, The Vasa Museum
LIGHTING
Tore William-Olsson, Ljusdesign
CONSTRUCTION
Mavab, Macromould, Vinks
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Johan Cnattingius, Agneta Wollenbrandt
SCIENTISTS & RESEARCHERS
Erland Sellberg, György Novaky, Leos Muller, Lisa Hellman, Fred Hocker, Stefan Lundblad, Mirha Arnshav
CARTOGRAPHER
Ingmar Borgström, Stockholm University
The Stories
We collaborated with museum staff, scientists and researchers. The exhibition was full of diverse stories and images from regions like Spain, France, Japan and Korea, all selected to introduce different themes such as warfare, shipping, the Little ice age and religion. The films were created to enhance four themes, Art, Warfare, Religion and Climate. The visual identity of the films was carefully orchestrated by the filmteam and contributed to set the mood of the exhibition.
Transparency in Space
The open plan space was divided into open as well as more secluded spaces. We had to take into consideration the large number of visitors and allow for flow and transparency, and at the same time give the visitors an opportunity to stop and reflect at certain focal points.
Traces of Visitors
The geographical selfie app allowed the more than 1,5 M annual visitors to participate and leave a personal mark. By taking a picture and pin themselves on to a digital map everyone could share their geographical origin.
