Hope Cathedral

These days, it is easy to be pessimistic about palpable issues facing the world such as ocean plastic pollution. However, artist Solveig Egeland, distressed by the plastics frequently washing up along the shores of her hometown Fredrikstad, was determined to make a local difference. She began partnering with local children to build small cottages out of the waste. Eventually, her initiative culminated in the larger Håpets Katedral (Hope Cathedral), a unique art project meant to lead the way for much larger sustainability goals.

Although built in the style of a traditional Norwegian stave church and supported by the Church of Norway, Hope Cathedral is meant to be an inter-faith space for weddings and self-contemplation. Starting from a wooden frame, Its ceiling was filled in with rainbow-colored fishing crates found on local beaches. Although usually anchored in Fredrikstad, its location on a barge means that it is occasionally tugged to other ports as well.