Artist-in-Residency Program Aboard the Sailing Vessel Light Observatory #7 Led by interdisciplinary artist and skipper Natali Blugerman. This residency offers artists the opportunity to immerse themselves in the maritime environment and experiment within it. Each week-long program serves as a catalyst for learning through hands-on exploration and shared discoveries. Every residency will host up to four participants, with special guests occasionally joining to provide in-depth knowledge on that week’s theme. The sailing locations will also be thoughtfully selected to align with each theme. At the end of the season, we will host a presentation in The Hague, where AiR participants can share their creative outcomes. Program Week one August 3rd - 9th: The New Ecological, which explores the contrast between over-designed natural landscapes in the Haringvliet, Hollands Diep, and Grevelingenmeer, and the heavily industrialized areas surrounding them. Tiengemeten and De Biesbosch are paradoxical examples of engineered nature in the Netherlands, where human intervention has reshaped landscapes, creating nature reserves amidst industrial and agricultural zones. While these areas are designed to restore biodiversity and act as green buffers against pollution, the very efforts to "restore" nature have led to unintended consequences. Species like beavers, introduced to improve ecosystems, have caused flooding of agricultural land and damage to infrastructure, forcing the Dutch government to spend millions on repairs. These reserves are meant to protect nature, yet they are continuously shaped by human management, struggling with pollution, agricultural runoff, and invasive species. In this way, even protected nature is paradoxically dependent on human intervention, showing how the pursuit of ecological restoration often collides with the reality of human needs and consequences. They will sail through these regions, gaining insights from guest experts to uncover the complexities of these unique locations.
Week two August 14th - 20th: The Flooded Cities of the Oosterschelde and the Veersemeer, reflecting on the region’s history of rising waters and submerged past. Over the centuries, about 200 cities and villages in Zeeland have suffered from devastating floods, due to its vulnerability as a low-lying region exposed to storm surges, rising sea levels, and breaches in dikes. These flooding events span back to the 13th, 16th, and 17th centuries, long before the infamous 1953 North Sea Flood. Zeeland’s history of frequent flooding has shaped its resilience, leading to the development of advanced flood protection systems like the Delta Works. This long history underscores the region's ongoing battle with water and the critical importance of flood management for its survival. One of the guest experts will be artist and spatial designer, Aušra Česnauskytė, who will invite you for an interactive expedition - time travel - in a transitional space between the land and water. While constantly wetting and drying your feet, you will explore water as a non-linear timeline archive and practice new world-building through future speculation and watery fiction.
Application Artists interested in participating are invited to apply by email with a motivation letter outlining their artistic drive and the project they wish to develop while aboard. Selection will be based on how well each applicant’s artistic profile aligns with the week’s theme and their approach to developing their project at sea. Additionally, we aim to curate a diverse, engaging, and harmonious group of participants. When preparing your research and development plan, please consider the limited space aboard. Suitable approaches may include collecting samples, making sketches, or conducting experiments while ashore. The program contribution is €980 + 21% vat and covers participation in the program, three plant-based meals per day, and simple shared accommodation on board. If have any questions or need a recommendation letter to apply for a subsidy please get in contact with us.
Application deadline: May 10