Ulf Mejergren was invited to create a landmark on the small island of Bergö, just off the coast of Vaasa in the northern Kvarken archipelago. This is a part of Finland where most of the inhabitants speak Swedish as their first language. Together, Finland and Sweden hold more islands than any other countries in the world, and the thousands of islands scattered along the coasts of the Baltic Sea form, in a sense, a gradient between the two nations.
The request was for an artistic landmark that could be visible from a distance but also serve as a meeting place.
The artwork was placed by a small bathing beach next to an old fishing settlement, a popular destination for both Bergö residents and visitors during the summer months. Its position between land and sea made it a natural gathering point—an intersection of leisure, tradition, and landscape.
Mejergren set out to create something both simple and powerful, drawing inspiration from the old wooden sea beacons of the Baltic—structures reduced to their essential forms, often painted in red or white.
Life on Bergö is shaped by a strong island council, which plays a central role in local decisions and traditions. They organize talko, community gatherings where volunteers come together to repair a school roof, clear paths in nature, or take on other collective tasks. This spirit of togetherness also became essential to the artwork itself: involving the talko was a necessity, not only because the project budget was limited, but also because it anchored the work in the community from the very beginning.
The result is a wooden pyramid, its surfaces pierced with fish-shaped patterns in varying sizes—motifs that speak directly to the surrounding sea. The fish follow a playful internal logic: a larger fish behind a smaller one is cut with an open mouth, while a smaller fish behind a larger one has its mouth closed. Even the doorframe and detailing borrow their forms from fish.
At night, when light shines through the cut-outs, the structure transforms into a beacon. On the ground, the illuminated patterns gather into a shimmering school of fish, merging with the sea just beside it. One might say this is less a lighthouse for boats than a lighthouse for people—a landmark, a gathering point, a place of warmth and belonging that draws you in.
Over time, additional functions will be added to the work—such as seating, a chandelier reflecting light, and more—allowing the landmark to evolve as a living artwork, continually updated and shaped by the island’s inhabitants.
With gratitude to:
Malakta – especially Magdalena Lindroos and Ann-Maj Granstubb
Bergö Öråd – especially Britt-Mari Söderholm, and everyone who contributed with help and ideas
Carpenters – Jens Söderholm and Magnus Molander
Engineer – Ben Toumela
Municipality of Malax – especially Sofia Lillgäls
