Vinca Petersen's 'Hulala' Documents Building a Croft House on the Isle of Skye
Vinca Petersen, nearly 50, has relocated from Ramsgate to the Isle of Skye to embrace a life as a crofter, where she's constructing a straw-bale home with the assistance of friends, students, and builder Barbara Jones. Over a span of four years, she chronicled this endeavor under the title 'Hulala,' which draws inspiration from a Gaelic saying. Sadly, Petersen’s mentor, hill farmer John, passed away shortly after the project was presented in Peckham in May 2026. She is preparing for a more extensive exhibition and a companion book set for release later that same year.
Key facts
- Vinca Petersen moved from Ramsgate to the Isle of Skye to take on a croft tenancy.
- She built a straw-bale house with help from friends, students, and Barbara Jones.
- The project is documented in the body of work 'Hulala'.
- 'Hulala' means 'for all the days I see you and all the days I don't' in Scottish Gaelic.
- The title was learned from John, an 83-year-old hill farmer who died after the Peckham exhibition.
- Petersen's 1999 book 'No System' chronicled traveling with rave sound systems.
- The croft tenancy costs £36 per year and offers secure tenure.
- An exhibition and monograph of 'Hulala' will be released later in 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Vinca Petersen
- Gem Fletcher
- Barbara Jones
- John
- Joseph Beuys
Institutions
- Edel Assanti
- School of Natural Building
- Glasgow School of Art
- Crofting Commission
Locations
- Ramsgate
- Isle of Skye
- Fitzrovia
- Peckham
- Scotland
- London