Extreme weather at sea (Extreem weer aan zee)

Extreme weather at sea (Extreem weer aan zee)

In 2004/2005 Stroom organised ‘The sea, the shore and the harbour’. The project aimed to explore the meaning of the sea as public space, taken from all kinds of disciplines, backgrounds and experiences. At the same time, the North Sea culture was expressed in images, in the form of sea journeys, artists’ contributions, architecture workshops and an exhibition. 1001 ‘concepts’ relating to the North Sea were collected in a book: The Enseaclopaedia.

The ‘Extreme weather at sea’ project was devised and implemented, inspired by a photo from 1963 in which I and my family are standing on the frozen North Sea. The sea and the weather are inextricably linked. The plan was to produce images of memories of extreme weather and so to visualise a part of the memory of the coast. Together with the Haagsche Courant, an appeal was made to the public asking them to submit photos and stories of extreme weather at sea. The appeal was also spread in the form of postcards. Some 60 items were submitted, depicting storm, ice, wind and sometimes heat. With a view to the coming climate change, I interviewed experts from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, about the future of the coast and climate. Does this photo collection represent a true future image or not? The photos selected were printed on a poster. The related stories and the texts about the project, the coast and the climate are on the reverse. But that frozen North Sea will never return.

More information: Stroom