Statutory Address: 11-14 Nelson Street, Hull, HU1 1XE
Coordinates: 53°44’18″N 0°19’58″W
Description of Location –
Located above road level on Nelson Street, the former location of the Ferry Boat Docks which connected Hull with Lincolnshire. Opposite The Deep aquarium, where the rivers Hull and Humber meet.
Details –
Erected: The original was erected in 2006. This was stolen in July 2011 but was replaced by Hull City Council in May 2012.
Listed: Not listed
Monument Type: Art sculpture
Associated Site(s): Sister sculpture ‘För’ in Vik, Iceland. Also, the Grade II listed William de-la-Pole statue, former Pilots Office, former Corporation Pier Station, Minerva Hotel are also located in relatively close proximity.
Inscription(s): “Vik Iceland 1534km”
“Voyage 2006 Steinunn Thorarinsdottir”
“‘Voyage’ and a sister sculpture in Vik on the south coast of Iceland symbolise the bond created by more than a thousand years of sea trading between Hull and Iceland. They are a tribute to fishermen and other seafarers who, over centuries, have braved the perils of the sea. They are also a memorial to those whose lives have been claimed by the hostile water of the Northern Atlantic. Thirty years after the ending of the last of the cod wars both sculptures were commissioned to commemorate the long standing links between our two countries. Both figures face out to sea to emphasise that the waters dividing our islands are also the trade routes that unite. Those who go down to the sea in ships and do business in great waters share a mutual respect and understanding with fellow seafarers.”
Description: Voyage consists of a six-foot-tall bronze figure leaning forward towards the river Humber on top of a tall stone column and surrounded by a stone compass on the floor. The sculpture was created by Icelandic artist Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir and is facing the down the estuary towards the sea. There is a sister statue in the village of Vik, Iceland which faces out towards Hull. The art project commemorates the long history of trade between Hull and Iceland (which continues), as well as recognising the tension caused by the Cod Wars (1958-1961, 1972-1973, and 1975-1976).
Additional Resources –
“How Hull Sculpture Marks Centuries-old Sea Connection,” Yorkshire Post, 7 January 2019, https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/how-hull-sculpture-marks-centuries-old-sea-connection-171845.
“Replacement Icelandic Voyage Sculpture Unveiled in Hull,” BBC, 11 May 2012, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-18022948.
Steinunn Thorarinsdottir, “Voyage,” CODAworx, accessed 26 December 2023, https://www.codaworx.com/projects/voyage-city-of-hull-england-and-the-town-of-v-iacute-k-iceland/.