As part of a bigger, collective project and following the subjective map of Rotterdam this project was adapted to fit the city of Groningen. Inspired as always by infrastructure, it grew to include Eemshaven and to pose questions regarding the cost of development and of our increasing needs in energy and data. Below is the video produced from footage of Eemshaven and the city of Groningen, juxtaposing liminal and gentrified (or on the verge of gentrification) spaces and the ever-expanding energy and data factories of Eemshaven.
An ever-changing mobile population
Our mixed paths
Our lost orientation
Making history that soaks into
An angry earth
A greedy machine is marching
From the end of the world
A new order
A dark mirror.
We remain
Stoic like oaks
Entangled
In deep rooted feeling
Or
Anchored like house boats
In half-deserted ports
Rocking with the waft
The ebb and the tide.
In a playful manner, the project also speaks about and celebrates the mundane but magical corners as met by the curious eyes of a stranger.
Here are some pictures of the project in its natural environment: SIGN Project Space, commissioned and hosted the work from 26 September to 6 October 2024. The relevant object which compliments the video was created with SIGN's DIY approach in mind. It incorporates elements of temporality, temporariness, orientation as experienced from the viewpoint of the visitor, thoughts on the big issues of the city and 3D-printed GPS logs.