RENOVATION
PROCESS

Illutron is going through a significant renovation with the larger vision of turning the old art collective into a more mature cultural house for Copenhagen Harbour. This project began in its first phase, in which we got 3.5 million DKK of funding from the Copenhagen Municipality. We need more than this to achieve our complete goal, but it is enough to kickstart the journey. To keep everyone updated, we have created this page where you can read about the progress and the different steps. Please look at this as a timeline in reversed order, starting with the late elements at the top.

The Culture Ship ILLUTRON

With the Culture Ship ILLUTRON project, we now want to take a step further and expand the public activities so that more people can participate in the unique experiences we can offer from the barge. With 15 years of experience behind us, we want to offer ART+Technology education for children and young people, give more emerging artists access to our workshops, and facilitate more open art experiences on board.

However, the barge needs renovation, and the existing conditions mean, among other things, that it is too cold to stay on board during the winter months. In addition, the ship must have a statutory bottom survey on land before the end of 2024. By renovating and upgrading the barge and professionalizing the operation, we are not only ensuring that illutron can continue to exist in the Port of Copenhagen. We are also giving it a whole new life as an open - and mobile - cultural centre, with more activities and better facilities to benefit a larger group of users - for many years to come.

January 28th: 3D Scan of the illutron barge

Today, we are 3D scanning illutron. As a part of the renovation process, we need a detailed 3D model of the entire ilutron barge. This will significantly help us plan renovations and find optimal ways to utilise the space.

January 18th: Finally, illutron is on its way back to Copenhagen!

January 15th: Working on ICCP with Fablab Ærø

Today at Motorfabrikken, Marstal, Harald from Illutron, and Dzl from FabLab Ærø showcased the upgraded ICCP (Impressed Current Cathodic Protection) system! This innovative technology, used to prevent corrosion on steel ships, has kept Illutron in excellent condition for decades, demonstrating its effectiveness and sustainability. The system now includes real-time monitoring, ensuring optimal performance and enabling valuable knowledge sharing. A significant step for sustainable maritime technology!

December 11th: Illutron has arrived at Marstal

Illutron has arrived at Marstal for its second tour stop, where we will collaborate with Motorfabrikken Marstal on the ICCP system.

December 7th: A few detail pictures of the paintwork

December 4th: The paintwork has begun

At the beginning of December, the paintwork began. The sides were sandblasted before they were painted with icebreaker paint; the black is just decoration on top. The bottom was "swiped" (quickly run over with a sandblaster) and then got Hempel's Quatro, a long-lasting Epoxy.

After the paint job.

Before the paint job.

The thickness of the coat of paint on a barge is essential for its lifespan. We have regularly checked the thickness to ensure we reach the goal of 400µm. The paint is a barrier against rust and corrosion caused by water, oxygen, and salts. A failing paint coat exposes the metal underneath, leading to structural integrity issues. The epoxy-based coating can last between 10 and 15 years with proper maintenance.

November-December: Patching up and fixing all the details

After a deep inspection and measurements of the thickness of the hull. It was time to patch up and improve all the weak spots.

Weak spots and small hatches are enforced to make the barge survive in the water for many years.

November: The first inspection looked good

First, the hull looked amazing. This must be credited to our DIY ICCP anti corrosion system, made by @dzlogram, which has paid off. You can read about it here:

https://dzlsevilgeniuslair.blogspot.com/2013/08/simple-active-chatodic-protection-for.html

November 7th: Arriving at Søby Værft, Ærø

We arrived at Søby Værft, Ærø on November seventh.

Arriving at Søby Værft

Harald was manning the Barge while it is being towed.

everyone watching on the online tracker as the realtime location of Danasound was broadcastet.

November 5th: Leaving Copenhagen, Refshaleøen

On November 5th, it was time to close the hatch strap on the survival suits and tie a rope to Danasound, who dragged us from Copenhagen to Ærø.

November: Cleaning up and getting the Barge Ready for being towed to dry the dock on Ærø

To make room for the work, we had to clear most of the space on the barge so workers could inspect the hull, fix weak patches, etc. This collaborative effort involved many people working together day and night to sort out, pack down, and clean up every nook and cranny of the old lady. The important stuff to keep was packaged in a shipping container for later retrieval.

What has for 17 years been crammed with projects and experiments was completely cleared and cleaned for the renovation process.

April 2024: We have received a grant of 3.5 million kroner from the Copenhagen Municipality

We are super happy! We have received a grant of 3.5 million kroner from the Copenhagen Municipality's Culture and Leisure Committee for the first phase of The Culture Ship ILLUTRON 🚢

In collaboration with Tegnestuen Vandkunsten, we plan to extensively renovate our beloved barge to gather a diverse range of guests all year round.

Thanks to the support, we can further develop illusion and relaunch the barge as an open and floating cultural centre that brings activities, art, technology, performance and much more to Copenhagen's different districts.

We look forward to sharing this fantastic journey with you!

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RENOVATIONPROCESS