Remote treasure in the middle of Pacific: Marquesas Islands
Originally, I did not go to Marquesas Islands for Marquesas.
It was too distant an island to mean anything to me.
Yes, I am drawn to islands and have written about a couple of them before. They were mostly European islands though. Until now.
When I bought the book ’50 remote islands I have not visited and never will’, it was like another curious atlas-flipping experience.
Little did I know that through Marquesas, I’ll not only reunite with dear friends, but I’ll set my foot on a living treasure-land yet unvisited by many.
So I went to French Polynesia for celebration of friendship and a common dream. And it just happened that Filou de Mer was at that momentum of world-sailing located in the most distant place on earth! Our Christmas and New Year’s Eve 2025. Instead of spending it in Poland and Denmark.
When I finally landed in Hiva Oa on 11 December’25 after 48 hours journey on 4 different planes from Copenhagen, I started becoming surprised on all possible levels.
Fresh eyes on absolutely everything!
From all the 12 Marquesas Islands and 6 of which inhabited – volcanic treasures in the middle of Pacific Ocean – we sailed to 3 of them: Ua Huka, Tahuata and Hiva Oa.
My train of thought here – in order to describe for you my personal experiences and impressions – will not be divided according to those 3 remote islands, but instead I’ll share 3 themes that I found particularly interesting.
Not as a researcher/sociologist, but as an embodied witness, looking back through the entire kaleidoscope of sensory memories and all new knowledge I’ve gathered that makes me tick.
So…
¤1) Very unique co-existence of “ancient” Polynesian
religion/rituals and (post)colonial Catholic churches
Marquesas Festival in Ua Huka Island Christmas in catholic church in Tahuata Church in Ua Huka
I must say that Marquesas Festival gave me a deep-dive “time machine” experience.
Ua Huka island was the festival’s host this year. Only every second year it’s manifested and it’s such a pearl to have access to be there. I remember that during summer when I was on the wedding in Poland and almost ready to drop the planning and dream to join Filou de Mer in French Polynesia (because it was way too expensive and too complicated), Isabel sent me a spot-on message saying that there is a festival 14-18 December 2025 in Marquesas.
It left an inception in me apparently. Then one day months later, 3 of us together with 2 other friend-sailors from the Hana bay, were all standing there among the most unique culture experience of my life time. And it was all real! Experiencing islanders’ tribe-like, warrior-like costumes, their Haka Manu (bird dances), Tiki Man statues, “old-school” way of cooking food in deep pits in the ground on fire, covered with huge leaves – that was like being inside a surreal movie!
Another Marquesas culture pearl was church- and community-celebration. Colourful masses with orchestra and singing in little catholic churches (that missionaries both from England and later France had spread in Polynesia) seemed to be really binding for their local culture.
My first experience was a morning church celebration that officially opened Marquesas Festival. 8 a.m. on the festival day, I walked there from higher hills where from 6 a.m. Had been searching for Three Tiki statues.
It was my first walk on land alone. Lars let me wake him at 6 a.m. and dropped me on land. Thank you.
Without any map, there was no guarantee I am gonna find the famous Tikis.
I had been walking carefully up the hill always looking up, protecting my head from potential coconuts falling down. That can kill you!
Nature Danger #1.
Then I finally saw the statues – three Tiki on a hill elevation and I looked around and it showed amazing view over the bay where our katamaran, our Home, was anchored.
The moment I sat down on a stone to enjoy, I turned around and there it was: potential nature Danger #2: wild pigs.
The entire herd of small pigs and two huge motherfucker adults around the Tiki statues, basically everywhere around me. That was both amusing and scary, as I didn’t know what to expect from these Polynesian pigs.
New unknown peripheries for exploration of N-A-T-U-R-E.
…and C-U-L-T-U-R-E, so back to the catholic churches.
The second unforgettable religion encounter was on the actual Christmas Eve.
I saw it already there, being in the middle of that entire Marquesian experience – and now after coming back home I see it even more clear – that we were so lucky to know some locals.
We were invited to Christmas celebration in the local village in Tahuata.
The church mass started at 18:00 and especially the beginning of it – when the priest after disappearing for 15 minutes came back with the procession of the musicians – struck my body with such level of high energy that I started to cry.
After that there was gift-giving, Marquesian women dancing and shared potluck food on huge tables. That’s how people celebrate Christmas there.
¤2) Experience of melting with surroundings: juicyness of
nature, temperature, no natural “human” predators
‘Three Tiki’ ancient statues in Ua Huka and diving in Tahuata
Eating raw fish straight from the ocean and unwashed fruits from the trees was a direct proof of that something feels right, natural on both body and soul.
Temperature of both air and sea was fitting my inner system that body was naturally open continuously for 3 weeks.
I was constantly alert about sharks, otherwise there were no natural human predators. Neither on land or in the water.
Swimming with Mantarays was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had with a living creature that was not a human!
¤3) Waka, wayfinding, celestial navigation.
Art of Observing. Art of Becoming.
*
I know something I want to share.
It’s not a bare facts.
It’s like a metaphor for life related to Polynesia.
Marquesians have had centuries-old oral culture, deep connection to ancestors and to nature and their land. Henua Enana (meaning ‘Land of Men’) is the traditional name for the Marquesas Islands in their own language.
All Polynesians also developed skillful sailing/navigation techniques that have been passed as secret knowledge by a few. Those traditional navigation masters possessed unprecedential techniques of finding way to new islands not only by stars, but by observation of birds, swells (better indicator than waves!), sensing proximity of islands by learning to recognize special mirage/colors reflected in the clouds, as well as many other signs on endless ocean where only waves and horizont can been seen.
“Knowing” is like a tip of an iceberg….or a top of a volcano that is rising from the ocean 4000 meters deep*.
I’m not interested in science as such, or in anthropology of Marquesian culture. Even though I studied sociology.
My focus lies more in inspiration and personal observation as Art of Life/Art of Becoming:
By letting wholeness of experience in Marquesas islands flush through my own, already existing rich life experience and all knowledge I’ve gathered since I was a little girl.
Dream is the focus, too, of course.
I’ve filtered my Polynesian impressions through my dreams.
Dream sent me there in the first place.
A new dream is awaken afterwards. Like memory is dynamic too.
For many people “Dream” is the last and only element left in a human being on her/his/their death bed.
Everybody wants to find way to something that matters most to them.
In this last paragraph of my Marquesian memories I want to freely talk about WAYFINDING.
…both as a method for traditional Polynesian navigation – before any motors and GPS came to the picture – and as a metaphor for deep creative steering of your own life journey.
“Ancient” Polynesian celestial navigation has been such an creative, effective way of observation that indigenious people even described it as if it was not a sailor who sails out to find an island. You carefully observe stars, risings and settings of Sun and Moon, elements of nature around your sailing waka and then at some point, an island finally “comes to you”.
I feel it.
I experienced those moments in life.
You have gained skills, you are in full focus, you wait and at some point things happen and “come” to you by themselves.
Personal, skillful wayfinding. Like for centuries, since ancient times, on traditional Polynesian boats called waka.
You learn to observe and wait.
then…
The remote island is suddenly yours.
Ka’oha nui,
Iwona
*image of pirogue boat from Musee communal de Ua Huka during Marquesas Festival 14-18 December’25
” If you’re either into me or into islands – both physical and metaphoric islands – you’re welcome to follow my ISLAND project. Both on Water and Land – as a sailorette and artistic reasearcher – I’ll be adding to this website new input treasures with time.“
Iwona.
End of England: Isles of Scilly
It’s Indian Summer’25 and I am on Tresco Island. I am preparing to visually-write about
ISLES OF SCILLY
TIDES
LABIRYNTS
About most amazing place since I visited Vancouver Island 20 years ago. I met a local man here in Scilly, Julian, who is a biologist, working with archeologists and volunteers.
Nothing is more precious than personal stories told over a beer. I visited Abbey Gardens on Tresco Island today with a boat.
Tomorrow I will visit St. Agnes Island where a 300 years old labirynth exists and has lots to do with Vikings.
SCANDINAVIA ❤💙❤ ENGLAND
There’s something about England that pulls me in, its been my home for 7 months … 20 years ago.
But now I was suddenly back. On this magic island Tresco.
I love British accent!
I am drawn to islands.
But I am also scared by islands.
I didn’t sail to Isles of Scilly in my own boat of course.
It’s dangerous, especially Western Rocks, so many shipwrecks there
My dream is to find a place for some art residency or to go exploring a place with a compagnion or two. Pairs of three. Have a common mission. Remember that, please, maybe now or in the future you’ll be able to give me a hint or connect me with someone.
Maybe it will even be on an island?
I met a fascinating Irish girl – Saoirse – last year in Helsinki on Winter Art Symposium with Nordic Summer Universiity where we both presented our artistic projects.
Thanks to her… you know she connected me with someone.
His name is Julian*
Julian Branscombe.
Nothing is more magical on a new island than hearing a local’s story over a beer.
He is a biologist also working together with archeologists and artists.
Why so much fascination about Vikings? I asked Him
“I wanted to make you feel home” he answered.
“but you know I’m Polish” I said to him.
I didn’t mind! That’s how my exploration started. He told me about Vikings on British Isles.
And sent me searching for something special on another island.
And I found the real labirynth he was talking about. Without phone and maps. On St. Agnes island.
Troy Town Maze from 1729, St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly
They say it’s been built by Vikings in 1729.
I also had an honour of meeting artists on St. Agnes – Teän Roberts and Layan Harman – with their Scilly Labirynths Project. It was also Julian’s idea to go find those people. The most hidden and remote treasure exhibition one could imagine.
So before in time, Isles of Scilly were Christian then pagan then Christian again.
Maybe this Scilly labirynth was a magic totem to enchant good wind for the sailors?
Cause the seashore there is soo dangerous it created a multitude of shipwrecks in the area.
On the most south-west tip of Britain, beyond Land’s End … end of England.
And the climate is so subtropical there!
Abbey Gardens on Tresco is the most mesmerizing botanical garden I’ve ever seen. Created by some British noble man in 19th century.
I was travelling on my own.
Don’t remember being that happy because of a place.
Abey Gardens, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Islands are brilliant …strategically.
Military has almost always been there.
Islands are both beautiful and scary to me.
Here is the full story!
I had made a pure video to avoid text when my website was down just after I came back home the end of September’25.
So Julian moved from Orkney Islands in the north of England to Isles of Scilly in the southest south.
The end of England.
Vikings have been both places.
What is particulaly facinating about Orkney for a sailorette like me who likes reverse-phenomena is
SCAPA FLOW
It’s like a reverse island phenomenon: normally by definition island is a solid Land surrounded by Water from all sides.
Scapa flow is though like a reverse thing.
Scapa Flow is an island made of Water, surrounded by Land from all sides.
Oops, I’m suddenly talking about Orkney Islands, because Julian used to live there.
But now he lives on Isles of Scilly.
And I totally fell in love with Isles of Scilly!
BACKGROUND: THE ISLAND PROJECT
I am drawn to islands.
Summer’24 I wrote about Ungdomsøen close to the Copenhagen shore. An artificial island, built for military.
Military again, of course.
Last year I wrote about Hel, a peninsula in Poland where on its very tip two different waters meet.
Then I participated in Saoirse’s artistic radio program describing a trip to Easter Island that I never took!
It was an aesthetic storytelling in form of a “FORWARD MEMORY” ( you coined that word, Christian ). Saoirse that I had met in Helsinki the same year, was also the one connecting me with Julian from Scilly.
Then I bought myself a ‘Pocket Atlas of remote islands‘ ( thank you for a hint, Rolf )
Hopefully the next islands I’ll visit will be Marquesas Islands in the middle of Pacific Ocean.
If flow of life allows it.
This Christmas 2025.
I am scared again.
*great thanks to Julian Branscombe and his Scilly Wildlife Trust. And thank you all that contributed directly and indirectly to my Scilly journey
” If you’re either into me or into islands – both physical and metaphoric islands – you’re welcome to follow my ISLAND project. Both on Water and Land – as a sailorette and artistic reasearcher – I’ll be adding to this website new input treasures with time.“
Iwona.
Two Waters’ kissing point
I am in Hel…
Poland.
I am drawn to Islands.
I write to share today about kissing points of Waters and my new favourite Polish spot.
Look.
A kissing point. Polish Land’s End.
I am drawn to Islands. Hel is a half-island or more a 36 km long amazing sand penisula, a nature phenomenon.
My brother told me that in communist era there was absolutely no access to the tip of Hel.
Military was there. You see it and feel it as you walk through the forest leading to the very end of land. Last summer I wrote about our experience on Danish former-military Island by Copenhagen, Ungdomsoen, that one is though man-made.
Hel is water-made.
My yesterday’s fascination by Hel Penisula was also extra stimulated by an article from 2009 I’ve found in webarchive.
It mentions both nowadays’ Hel and Stary Hel (Alte Hela) – a city further down the penisula that had apparently existed centuries ago and then sunk.
One of underwater hidden lost cities with ruins found under sand and mud?
I am fascinated by the (un)FINISHED WORKS by WATER.
To be continued.
Finding my Child as Life’s Testament?
What would your Child be if you didn’t have human kid(s)? I was high up in the air on the plane to Helsinki when I first initiated this post. It is in the aftermath of our collective workshop-ritual that I connect new knowledge with visual memoirs.
At the Helsinki’s University of Arts 23-26 February 2025 for the NSU winter symposium, I invited participants to together embody this ENQUIRY
What is your alternative Child?
《Results and dynamic memories, thank you all !》
aftermath images of 《Alternative Child》
Ungdomsøen, Flakfortet, Trekroner: artificial islands of Denmark
Islands.
Islanders.
Surrounded by water 
All around, the four sides of the sea melt and form a deep 360° boundary, encapsulation.
Scrolling down, my first post emerges, when I officially started the virtual version of my ISLANDS project while staying on and writing about Danish Ungdomsøen. And two other artificial Danish islands.
Islands make one or me only feel both safe and stuck without supplies if one (me only?) has not brought enough of…
FOOD!
{ or wait, give it a thought, what was it that one would bring to a semi-deserted island?
…if one thing only? }
Cause ships coming and going from island are graceful and bring resources.
Bjork has written an anchor song 
– piosenka kotwica (pl.)
which sounds like that, together with other Sea songs
It’s summer 2024. We just spent a weekend on Danish Ungdomsøen (Youths’ Island) on the occassion of Peace Camp.
Our ship was gracious too, a Cornish crabber from 1971 with Gavin as captain.
.
the peace manifestation in the harbour was artistically initiated by Pipaluk (video by Magnus)
Ungdomsøen ( previously called Middelgrundsfort ) is the biggest of three islands seen from the north end of Copenhagen Channel – artificially built for protecting the land from seaside war attacks (photo and article from ‘Båd’ magasin’18)
The second of the 3 – Flakfortet – I had sailed 
to many years ago on my own boat. Without knowing any of its history. We only talked to its islanders. People living on and running the island that once was military’s, then abandonded, then went into private hands and opened for sailors visiting. Then temporarily closed because of visitors bringing potential damage to its historical heritage.
Interesting people…
Trekroner, the third island, we would sail to and practice harbour maneuvers for Dueligheds Bevis exam.
Yes.
And all those words above to give a sensation of peculiarities of Island as space and beautiful, strange culture.
And because I feel there’s a vibe in Islands. And in places once upon a time abandoned by military.
Which shift then into another shape.
” If you’re either into me or into islands – both physical and metaphoric islands – you’re welcome to follow my ISLANDS project. Both on Water and Land – as a sailorette and artistic reasearcher – I’ll be adding to this website new input treasures with time.“
Iwona
Sunday shadows, myths rewritten
Today is Sunday. Aloneness turns out to be pregnant with past-gathered stories, myths and images that ask me to bring them anew to the surface of today.
Warm mischevious sun and Spring lurking shyly from behind tree barks. Trees are not blossoming yet. Here She comes again, yet again for the first time.
“Everything happens for the first time. Just in a way that is eternal.” (Borges)
Eternity of Change.
“Never yet have I found the woman from whom I wanted children, excerpt for this woman whom I love: for I love you, O Eternity!” (Zarathustra)
Eros and Thanatos – are one and same thing, said Deleuze* about Freud’s two opposites.
Maybe therefore none of the opposites can win? The Two don’t even take the resolving fight. They need each other untill a conflict as a process becomes complete. As much time as it takes. Like towards a child. Or towards love. (Inner) conflict is painful… and conscious. And one day, suddenly, it’s some subconscious force – the Anima – or some other train of unexpected outside events, who brings a resolution to the conflict of “opposites”. There is a fairytale that pictures it: the conflict between two opponents (the Faithful and the Unfaithful) gets surprisingly resoved by a third character, Anima (the Princess)**.
Fairytales and poetry have special language that makes it possible to understand. Gain a deeper insight. Bear in mind: it’s also the language of “the Weird”. The weird and anima are often neglected. The Other.
(Inner) conflict is painful often. When one believes (s)he has to choose between shadow and light.
14 years ago I received a special (back then) book from a friend: ‘Owning your own shadow’ by Robert N. . Since then I’ve gotten to like and understand almonds much more. Mandorla.
When I was little I wanted to be good. But I couldn’t somehow 😉 I was convnced I wanted to marry Jesus, because he was good.
For years it felt there was some missing element in religion. Now in adult life I know what it is. Attraction. Mutual attraction between human and God. Maria Magdalena maybe? Or at least some kind of Anima of Jesus.***
* on Eros and Thanatos being one. Pleasure containing death drive in itself as a “curved line”, sustaining the libido drive, taking care of it’s repetition.
(Quote by Deleuze, taken from S. Zizek’s book “Living in the end times”)
** from a chapter ‘the Anima and the Heroes’ by Marie Louise von Franz
*** my own little Sunday blasphemy
**** original photo by Josh Blake (getty images)
Intimacy of Death
I have an honor of presenting a visual Death Testimony, created by a wonderful woman called Rose.
Rose wrote…
I would like to share a little testimony about the intimacy of Death.
As my mother passed away the family chose to keep her in her home for three days never leaving her alone.
I spend the nights alone at her side and watched the rapid changes of her face and body trying to capture her transition with my pens and brushes.
I realized that Death is all but silent, but in the lack of words describing the phenomenon other systems of non-verbal expression takes over, languages of prayers, dreams and poetry, art and music.
In my testimony I share the intimate process of grief that could only be expressed in poetic ways recovering the world after the loss of a huge impact in life.
I share with you the sketches and drawings I made of my mother after she passed away, but also the recovery of her lost places as I one day suddenly discovered her portrait on the surface of the moon ~
soul synchronizes what cannot be spoken, I hope you will receive the soulful message
Sisters Hope’s Symbolic Testament
“ I want to thank everyone who came to my funeral (…)“
stop for a moment, press play, take three breaths and look around.
Come back. continue being a witness…
Her office was already dark when I stepped inside.
Dimmed lights, I mean, suede turquiose pillows, soft carpet that makes one wanna live and love.
She then lied down on this black carpet.
With my hands, I prepared her body … for transition.
I lit the candle.
Her candle and Her golden nail behind her head crown.
I covered her all, her face last.
I let her be where I was not, her Time was ticking different than mine.
After Time, I uncovered her slowly
… so she could, so alive, take a distance to herself.
She was standing there, looking at Her from that Time some whiles ago when she was lying fully covered, her candle burning.
Then she spoke.
I want to thank everyone who came to my funeral (…)
I listened, I witnessed.
Then when She finished the speech …
… I took three breaths and started to write what I had heard.
Sister’s symbolic Testament was donated to Sisters Hope Home Archive on 23 November 2021 by Iwona Rejmus
as part of her art project
Life ~ Death ~ Testament
Now.
wherever you are, stop and press play, close your eyes and then close this page
…when you feel it’s time
Queering Paths and Phenomenology of Becoming
The most intriguing of all in this Queer Mermaids project is not the question of ‘am I queer?‘, but rather ‘how this process shapes the way I orientate myself in time and space: both alone and when extending myself through Others‘. Phenomenology of becoming.
Recently I got fascinated by a Polish philosopher Anna Teresa Tymieniecka, my new discovery, my homeland phenomenologist.
She writes spot-on about the power of an experiencing individual – which is specially interesting in the context of workshops and exploratory rituals I’ve been creating…
the horizons of experience are movable and infinitely extendable, depending on viewpoint, situation in space and time, and on the powers of the experiencing subject, his/her reception and appreciation. (*1
You might have experienced that too?… imagine you are given a “gift”, possibly an inspiring lecture or a mesmerizing concert or a love gesture from somebody. Sometimes your body and mind are so receptive that the experience becomes profound. Other times you do not notice, you do not feel much, while exactly the same gift is lying in front of you. It’s suddenly less accessible, as if your ‘horizon of experience’ is (temporarily) limited.
Tymieniecka’s Phenomenology of Life revolves around an intriguing notion ontopoiesis.
Viewed as a “mechanism” of consciousness operating within the individual psyche, ontopoiesis underlies the human development, and serves not only as the foundation for development after the deep spiritual experience, but also as the basis for life transitions, transformations of meaning, and reconstruction of the human self affected by trauma. (*2
Significant life- and meaning-transitions are constantly (re)shaping ‘human self’ (one’s ‘overall’ identity). Those triggering moments of transformation – and this is a core addition to my Master Thesis – happen so often when experiencing something for the first time …or in States of Disorientation. Queering moments.
I have met a lot of ‘queer’ people on my recent path, I have however never really identified myself as ‘queer’. But my fascination for the concept started again when reading ‘Queer Phenomenology’ (*3. If queer as a spatial concept is a deviation from a straight line, I thought that I am maybe not queer, but my lifestyle and life path I chose (or was thrown on?) is quite queer. And there is more people living differently. Artistic research started. Here is a little film from our last project ‘Mermaid Oracles are walking the Line’ – together extending the notion of QUEER…
(*1 ‘The New Enlightenment:
Cosmo-Transcendental Positioning of the Living Being in the Universe’ by ANNA-TERESA TYMIENIECKA
(*2
(*3 by Sarah Ahmed
Interview ¤3
On the 13th of November it was, 2019, that I came to Erhard’s home for an interview.
People around me are my personal celebrities. It’s an honour to be let in. It’s a sublime passion to leave a trace. It’s always an exchange.
I am the one that interviews, but I am being asked questions, too.
long for that kind of love
When I ask people that question, what I really dig is this mental act of feeling and imagining to the core of one’s deepest dream around love, translated into words and/or images. It can be a very vulnerable dream. It can be a love scenario one has experienced or has never experienced. Or a scenario one is never going to experience. I think it’s a very important exercise.
His love longing is portrayed by love that already manifested. In the past…
You never stop kissing. Small kisses.
Unity in singularity without many words
(…)
Keep all academics out of love life. All reflections out of love life
my (unexpected) question for him
The very moment I entered his door, I was drawn to the interiors. So I gave him a spontaneous task. He accepted.
I like spaces. I like objects. How gorgeous to be exploring corners through someone else’s eyes!
what is sexy to you…
Then he found this…
… an object that was not only already filled with history and symbolic value, but also unexpectedly carried the answer to one of the core questions in the interview. Yes, rumpy bees and pumpy blooms… is what make Him tick.
his (unexpected) mission for me
I continued walking around His apartment’s corners. Slowly. My buzzing attraction towards aesthetics of objects with yet no name led me somewhere. I stopped. And He filmed…
This animal opened a new dimension to my understanding of a proverb that I’ve used quite often… when spotting life events and dynamics between people.
The animal apparently served as meaningful free association to a film/story/philosophy. That’s part of the contract I made with myself throughout all the 7 interviews I have and yet will do: I will link to a bigger intertextual whole… and extend a symbolic meaning.
rzucać perły przed wieprze { pl }
(cast pearls before swine { eng }
his picture of an old friend, my roots re-found
Our wandering through His apartment led us in the end to His ‘memoirs’ box.
And the last picture…
He got excited to show it to me and for me it was like a time machine ! When you associate something , actually its very beginning, with a particular person… Yes, I could put Momo in my personal museum: My Journey with Performance Art
Momo. Genesis. The Roots.
The story goes…
In 2005, there was a huge building destined to be turned down, the end of Island Brygge: A-Huset.
Here I took part in my first interactive performance ever. ‘In my face’ the name was. Here I met a significant handful of amazing people and inspiring artist. That’s how it started for me. 15 years ago. With many of the same people I have been journeying in parallel universes first with SIGNA, then our own art performance collective Club de la Faye. Together writing a movement manifesto, together shaping this new form of performance art.
Think, if I had not met Momo that autumn wednesday evening in Statens Museum for Kunst, if he had not invited me to take part in ‘In my face’ performance, who and where would I be right now in the world? I wonder sometimes…
This interview series revolves around two core questions: ‘what is sexy?’ and ‘deepest love dream’, as in unique life scripts of a human being,
7 interviews. 7 encounters. Experience them here.
