Zeewaarts

Zeewaarts is a Dutch-based contemporary art collective and research initiative that investigates the coastline, maritime labor, and climate-driven change through an interdisciplinary practice. Established in 2008 in Rotterdam by artists Mira Kline and Omar Idris, the group centers on collaborative making and field-based inquiry. The name blends Dutch sea terminology with the idea of moving toward the ocean, signaling a program oriented to sea space and memory.

The collective works across sculpture, installation, video, sound, and digital media. Its projects are typically site-specific, often realized in ports, seawalls, and harbor warehouses, and frequently incorporate recycled materials, shore debris, and data visualization. Public engagement is a core element, with community workshops, reading circles, and youth outreach designed to translate coastal science into accessible art forms. Zeewaarts has also developed an archive of maritime imagery and oral histories that documents regional sea-culture and ecological change.

Prominent projects include Silt Rooms, a modular installation that stores sediment passages from multiple estuaries; The Quiet Buoys, a soundscape collating hydrophone recordings with ambient city noise; and Sea-silk Pavilion, a responsive textile sculpture that changes hue with humidity and salinity. The group runs the annual Zeewaarts Week along the North Sea coast, featuring new commissions, artist talks, and collaborations with coastal universities and museums.

Critical reception notes the project’s blend of environmental critique and community participation, with attention to accessibility and local relevance. Zeewaarts continues to produce work and expand partnerships, exploring virtual exhibitions and longitudinal studies on sea-level rise.