Empty Vessel: The Story of the Global Economy in One Barge

The fate of an object over decades can reveal truths about human activity. Kumekawa (history, Harvard Univ.; The First Serious Optimist) considers recent economic history through the odyssey of a lowly steel flat barge. The Balder Scapa was constructed in Sweden in 1978, on speculation for a Norwegian owner through limited liability partnerships. It was expected to carry equipment for the offshore petroleum industry. However, when oil prices plunged, it was converted into a floating dormitory. Transported to the Falkland Islands, it became a barracks for the British garrison. The barge next traveled to Germany to house Volkswagen factory workers. The following stop was New York, to serve as an addiction treatment center. After that, to England as a prison. The barge then went to Nigeria as accommodation for oil workers. By 2023, it was laid up in Namibia. With each new owner, repositioning, and function change, Kumekawa notes “offshoring” as a global economic transformation. The barge, currently named Jascon 27, has been subject to repeated sales, “flag of convenience” registrations, refits, legal wrangling, and the effects of energy price fluctuations.