Dweilen met de Kraan Open

Ever since torrential rainfall submerged the streets of Valencia in 2024, I have been unable to shake the images of residents sweeping the muddy streets. Amidst the overwhelming deluge of mud and water, sweeping seemed an exercise in futility. These images conveyed a clear message: people attempting to manage the devastating impacts of climate change.

This imagery formed the starting point of my project: a vertically woven tapestry depicting men sweeping water while standing ankle-deep in the flood. In front of these sweepers, the work transitions onto the floor into a torrent of water carrying away a house and a car. The textile installation is accompanied by a ceramic fuel nozzle attached to a knitted oil slick, symbolising the fossil fuel companies accelerating climate change. As the work’s title suggests, the installation was created to highlight the stark contrast between individuals grappling with the consequences of climate change, while elsewhere the oil tap remains wide open.