Green Sea Rising

Towards the end of the poem Sorrow Gondola No. 2, poet Tomas Tranströmer describes composer Frans Liszt holding the sea pedal on his piano, making the powerful green sea rise and flood the buildings.

The artists Simon Hagegård and Ivan Wahren have been inspired by this passage, and the vivid imagery of the sea and stone merging together. Their artwork brings this imagery to life, depicting the green and blue water flowing down the church’s spire.

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2011 was awarded to Tomas Tranströmer because “through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality”. Tranströmer’s funeral in 2015 was held in Storkyrkan.

Simon Hagegård and Ivan Wahren

Simon Hagegård holds degrees in film (Stockholm University) and lighting design (Stockholm Technical Institute). His multifaceted career has led him to work with companies such as Helmet Experience Design, Tyréns, the Swedish Film Institute, Göteborg Film Festival and even producing documentary film. He is currently working as an electrical engineer at Stockholm Elingenjörer.

Ivan Wahren specializes in multidisciplinary projects within architecture, installation-art, performance & film. He holds a BFA from Stockholm University of the Arts (2017). In recent years he has presented numerous works, across a range of fields, throughout Europe, such as Radialsystem Berlin, Norbergfestival, The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi and Stockholm house of culture.

This artwork has an accompanying music piece, created by Kristine Botros and Janis Shipkevics. Using the power of AI technology to synthesize their own voices to sound like Tomas Tranströmers voice. An ethereal blend of electronic and acoustic soundscape that echoes the poetic resonance of Tranströmer. It’s a unique convergence of art and science, where the boundaries of creativity are pushed to new heights.