Our relationship with the sea is explored in two concurrent exhibitions opening next month at Hastings Contemporary, East Sussex.
The Sun Feeds the Wind will showcase the living histories of the seaside town’s fishing community — one of Europe’s oldest and now deemed under threat (below). Boats have been launched from Hastings’s beach, the Stade (Anglo Saxon for ‘landing place’), for more than 1,000 years, since the time of the Vikings.
Fishing is fully integrated into the town’s identity, yet with the changing climate and an ageing workforce, the fleet now numbers only 25 boats. With a £249,972 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the exhibition, designed by Jane Bruce, is part of a year-long project with the Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society to raise awareness.
Included are an immersive sound installation by artist Mary Hooper featuring an oral history archive of the fishing community — she and the society have been recording conversations since 2011 — and moving images by local artist Nichola Bruce and video designer Sam Sharples. ‘Inshore fishing faces immediate and existential threats, but, as fishermen, we are eternally optimistic for a brighter future,’ explains Paul Joy, chairman of Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society. ‘As custodians of the sea, we connect our town to its history, with traditions which pre-date 1066, and to its future — offering answers to the challenges facing our oceans and coastal communities. We are excited to share our stories and preserve them for future generations.’
Christopher Wood's 'Ulysses and the Sirens' from 1929
At the same time, the mysteries of life below the waves are illustrated in 75 paintings, prints, drawings and objects from around the world, spanning four centuries. Undersea, curated by art historian James Russell, brings mermaids, sirens and the perils of wrestling with an octopus to the fore with sometimes haunting visuality.
Fairy-tale illustrator Arthur Rackham, 19th-century Japanese printmaker Taiso Yoshitoshi, Surrealist Paul Delvaux and contemporary artists Klodin Erb, Damien Hirst, Michael Armitage and Tom Anholt are all represented. ‘I’m excited about the internationalism of the show, as we have works from the UK, US, Japan, China, India, Australasia, Europe and Africa,’ comments Russell. ‘There are themes that I think will appeal widely, particularly the mermaid’s section, among which Delvaux’s A Siren in Full Moonlight and a set of 27 strange and wonderful mermaid paintings by Klodin Erb are superb. Another striking work is Mia Weiner’s contemporary textile piece Sirens.’
Leah Cross, director of programmes at Hastings Contemporary, adds that ‘the sea is a cultural space shared by many nations and peoples, and to reflect this, the works on display cross borders, traditions and histories, and celebrate the pleasures of difference’.
‘The Sun Feeds the Wind’ and ‘Undersea’ are at Hastings Contemporary from 29th March to 14th September.
-
A honey-coloured, 300-year-old rectory where every period-house headache has already been solved for youThe Old Rectory is a charming family home that's just undergone an extensive renovation.
-
The secret lives of the British aristocracy, with Eleanor DoughtyEleanor Doughty has spent years getting to know the aristocracy of Britain — and she joins us on the Country Life Podcast to talk about their lives.
-
Polestar 4: Function, form and a sprinkle of stardustPolestar's latest offering builds off a steady and reliable platform and finally adds the missing ingredient — a little bit of flair.
-
Horology with horsepower: Girard-Perregaux unveils new watch in collaboration with Aston MartinThe Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition is covered in 15 ultra-fine layers of automotive paint.
-
Playing the fool: The rich history of tarot and how it satisfies our desire for transcendenceOnce an elaborate art form that entertained 15th-century Italian nobility, tarot cards have evolved into a tool of divination. A new exhibition shines a light on their history.
-
If the future of Ferrari is electric vehicles, then it is our future tooIt's widely believed that Ferrari will unveil its first electric car this year. It's the signal that the internal combustion era is coming to an end.
-
The Airlander wants to save our skiesA new hybrid aircraft promises eco-friendly aviation. Designed and built in the UK, can it be the future of air travel?
-
Dawn Chorus: How to bag a Vacheron Constantin watch like Brad Pitt’s 222 and why London’s Sloane Street is looking better than everEverything you need to know today, including a new version of the watch Brad Pitt made headlines with at Wimbledon, the Harvey Nichols pasta pop-up and Sloane Street’s £40million face lift.
-
When London was beginning to establish itself as modern cultural powerhouse: The 1980s according to David BaileyIn his new book ‘Eighties Bailey’, ‘era-defining’ photographer David Bailey explores a time when London and the UK were at the centre of the fashion, art and publishing worlds.
-
The Everrati Pagoda: An electric wolf in classic combustion clothingWhat do John Lennon, Audrey Hepburn, Charlton Heston, Kate Moss and Harry Styles have in common? They all owned an SL Pagoda. But they won't have owned one as nice as this.
