Quartair Contemporary Art Initiatives.

The North Sea, our neighbour who constantly pushes the boundaries, leaving behind a line that reveals who lived here thousands of years ago, but also shows what is wrong at this moment: Who regularly walks along the tide line finds fossil bones and trees, but also plastic, paraffin, oil and dead animals.

Currently, the North Sea is quickly being transformed into an industrial area. To maintain the habit of ever-growing consumption and extraction, while attempting to become more sustainable at the same time. Furthermore, drastic technological plans are being developed to eventually stop the rising water. And it was already busy.

Four artists show how they are connected to the North Sea and how they deal with the pressure on the sea: Tanja Engelberts searches for ways to document landscapes that are no longer visible and consequently seeks to approach the oil and gas industry, Astrid Nobel registers the places she knows well through observations, dreams and beach finds with attention for the consequences of pollution and warming, Sheng-Wen Lo looks at the North Sea from his origin and his background as a scientist with a focus on the non-human perspective and Laura Schippers is setting up a residency (Atlas Initiative) on board of a former fishing vessel and  highlights special observations and experiences of people at sea in her work.