A Sea of Blue and A Sunset Sky
Creative Daniel Hugelman's personal story of love, loss and the complexity of his home country
In 2017 Daniel Hugelman tragically lost his daughter Lea. His return to his home country, the Seychelles, was the beginning of Daniel's process of coping with this pain.
The online games which Daniel has created, outlined in this story, give insights into his home country and the issues it faces. At the same time, Daniel has made these games with his daughter in mind, creating something he thinks she would have enjoyed.
I want to give some insight into these aspects of my country, using texts and photographs. At the same time I wanted to make something interactive, something that Lea would enjoy, so I have made an interactive series of mini-games.
The mind, the soul, can be like a deep sea. So full; unfathomable and unexplored. Some people associate the color blue with depression. Returning to my home, to the Seychelles, was one step on my way of dealing with my own depression. A journey across a sea of blue...
A journey across a sea of blue...
This work was a short but difficult journey. It sent me into deeply emotional memories. Islands – like the Seychelles – are defined by the sea. The many blue shades of the sea.
When I returned home to the Seychelles, I hoped that nature, and the closeness of my family would alleviate my pain. I hoped it would lift me out of my sad, blue state of mind.Hope is what I see in the sunsets, especially the most vivid ones that cover the sky with fleeting
hues of red and orange.
Tropical islands might seem paradise to many, but the reality of living here provides a different perspective from that of the tourist. Many of our most challenging issues are related to the Indian Ocean: fishing and overfishing; marine security; tourism and climate-change; and an isolation from the rest of the world.
We travelled across the blue sea as slaves, colonists and workers. From all continents, towards an uncertain future. What now seems like a paradise was once a prison for some...
I wanted to give some insight into these aspects of my country, using texts and photographs. At the same time I wanted to make something interactive, something that Lea would enjoy, so I made an interactive series of mini-games. I hope that these will make our visitors think a bit deeper about the joys and sorrows of island life.
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