The Royal Danish Embassy in Accra has presented "The Gulf of Guinea Speaks", a site-specific art intervention held at the Ambassador's Residence in Accra. This event is part of the activities to mark the 2026 World Maritime Day and the 10th anniversary of the Danish Maritime Security Programme for the Gulf of Guinea. The exhibition featured three commissioned artworks that brought human-centered creative perspectives to diplomatic maritime-security discussions.
The art exhibition, curated by Fang Wang (Fang W. Linulf) and Essé Dabla-Attikpo, showcased works by Ghanaian artists Patrick Tagoe-Turkson and Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku, alongside a large-scale floor work by Fang W. Linulf. The artworks addressed marine waste, coastal heritage, waste colonialism, and global-trade pollution. Patrick Tagoe-Turkson repurposed beach-collected plastic flip-flops for mixed-media assemblages, while Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku built monumental installations from salvaged second-hand textiles.
The exhibition provided a platform for maritime practitioners, diplomats, and industry stakeholders to experience maritime realities through sensory, material, and visual perspectives. The artworks highlighted ocean ecology, coastal-community realities, and the human side of maritime governance. Fang W. Linulf's 100 sqm floor print merged ocean imagery and maritime geographic data, allowing visitors to physically stand upon mapped Gulf-of-Guinea ocean geography.
The co-curators and artists emphasized the importance of using art to uncover the human and material stories often missing from official documents. Fang W. Linulf mentioned that visitors could literally walk across the ocean on her floor print, making abstract maritime data more immediate. Essé Dabla-Attikpo stated that waste arriving on Ghana's shores carries global trade histories, which were made visible through the re-making of discarded materials.
The artists' works conveyed powerful messages about the impact of human activities on the ocean and coastal communities. Patrick Tagoe-Turkson noted that discarded flip-flops and textiles washed onto Ghana's beaches hold cultural memories, and transforming them into art is a way to advocate for the ocean and coastal heritage. Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku's installations highlighted the issue of waste colonialism and unequal global supply chains.
The "Gulf of Guinea Speaks" event created a platform to raise public awareness through artistic practice, moving beyond official reports to tell the human story of maritime governance. The exhibition was attended by maritime practitioners, diplomats, and industry stakeholders, providing a unique opportunity for them to engage with the human-centered perspectives on maritime security and governance.
Key points
- The Danish Embassy in Accra organized an art exhibition to commemorate the 2026 World Maritime Day and the 10th anniversary of the Danish Maritime Security Programme for the Gulf of Guinea.
- The exhibition featured artworks that addressed marine waste, coastal heritage, waste colonialism, and global-trade pollution.
- The event provided a platform for maritime practitioners, diplomats, and industry stakeholders to experience maritime realities through sensory, material, and visual perspectives.
