Sea, swallow me

'Sea, swallow me' is a fictional ruin of my home, engulfed by the sea. The work references Oud-Rilland, the drowned version of my birth village that was submerged in 1530 during the Sint-Felixvloed.

At the core of the installation stands a wall of brick-like blocks reminiscent of kloostermoppen, constructed from papier-mâché with a surface layer of sand from Westkapelle, where my family originates and where I spent my summers. The shape of the bricks is based on the historical kloostermop ratio of 6:3:2 (30x15x10 cm), as was customary in the late Middle Ages. Various objects are embedded in the sand layer: crab carapaces from the Oesterdam, a butterfly pendant from my youth, shells, and rubble from a demolished house in Rotterdam. In addition, objects found while mud-walking at the drowned site of Oud-Rilland are incorporated, such as old bricks, ceramics, and glass.

At first glance, the installation appears to be an ancient, historical ruin. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the work addresses the present day: water levels in the Netherlands are at the lowest point ever recorded, flooding is on the rise, and hydraulic works such as the Oosterscheldekering face maintenance backlogs. The work poses the question of what would remain of a life should the waters return once more.