Hull’s whaling story in art: New series of exhibitions set for launch

By Simon Bristow

A new series of maritime-themed exhibitions are set to open in Hull, East Yorkshire, and North Lincolnshire.

The first, A-Fishing for the Whale, by internationally renowned artist Caroline Hack, will look at Hull’s whaling story from new perspectives, and explore the legacies of whaling for the city’s musical heritage and historical collections.

This will be open from 9am to 5.30pm daily from Wednesday, April 12, until Wednesday, April 26, and can be seen at Princes Quay Shopping Centre at the Monument Bridge entrance. The exhibition will coincide with Yorkshire Coast Whale Week 2023.

It features three textile works by Hack, drawing inspiration from local histories of the whaling industry and the collections of Hull’s Maritime Museum. The title for this exhibition is a lyric taken from traditional whaling song The Bonny Ship the Diamond – sang by folk music icons The Watersons in their 1966 film Travelling for a Living.

A newly-commissioned piece of artwork, inspired by Hull’s maritime folk music heritage, is also being developed as part of the exhibition and members of the public will be able to interact with this work-in-progress at an event at Ferens Art Gallery on Wednesday, April 19.

Hack’s work explores stories and legacies of British Arctic whaling through textiles, prints, and artists’ books. Historical accounts, objects, artworks, and folk songs from Hull all feature heavily in the pieces. Hack’s work has been exhibited around the UK and in the USA. She has been visiting and working in Hull since 2010.

Gillian Osgerby, programme director for Hull Maritime, said: “Over the next two years, these exciting new pop-up exhibitions and displays will tell important stories in unexpected places – from shop windows to fish and chip shops.

“They invite you to think a little differently about our maritime heritage and find out more about Hull Maritime and how the city’s maritime treasures are being transformed to create a new maritime experience for the city.”

Caroline Hack said: “I’m delighted to be sharing some of my textile work showcasing Hull’s whaling heritage as part of the new pop-up display programme from Hull Maritime. The pieces reflect the importance of Hull’s whaling past and how it shapes the culture of the city today.

“Creating a new piece based on folk music is also exciting, and I look forward to talking with people about my work at the event at the Ferens in April.”

A talk with artist Caroline Hack and a screening of The Waterson’s 1966 film Travelling for a Living, which follows the iconic Hull folk band around the city and on the club circuit during the 1960s folk revival, – will take place at Ferens Art Gallery on Wednesday, April 19 between 1pm and 3pm. Book a place here.

A-Fishing for the Whale is a partnership with the Charismatic Encounters project and part of Yorkshire Coast Whale Week 2023, a week-long series of events in Hull, Whitby, and online which explore the region’s relationship to whales and other cetaceans in 400 years of coastal heritage. The programme includes talks on whale-watching, collecting oral histories, filmmaking, and the environment. 

Charismatic Encounters is a collaborative research project between the University of Leeds, University Paris Nanterre, and NGO the World Cetacean Alliance about the role of whales and other cetaceans in the coastal and maritime heritage of two regions: the Yorkshire coast and the transnational Basque region.

Working with key stakeholders and people in Yorkshire responsible for the stewardship of and public engagement with living animals and whaling history, including Hull Maritime Museum, the project highlights the central role of cetaceans in the region’s tangible and intangible heritage. 

Hull Maritime is funded by Hull City Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund and encompasses the redevelopment of five historic sites in Hull city centre: the transformation of the Grade II-listed Maritime Museum and Dock Office Chambers, the creation of a new visitor attraction at the North End Shipyard, and the restoration of two historic vessels, Arctic Corsair and Spurn Lightship.

You can find out more about the exhibition here.