Erosion

The relentless power of coastal erosion has carved and reshaped the landscape for centuries, a force both beautiful and unforgiving. Along the eastern coast, the North Sea steadily claims meters of land, unveiling hidden layers of history while simultaneously erasing them. This perpetual transformation reveals and removes in equal measure, creating landscapes that invite curiosity and contemplation. Yet, this process comes at a cost—homes vanish, communities are displaced, and the ever-changing shoreline bears silent witness to loss.

This film captures the physical traces of erosion, using the tactile and photographic qualities of cine film to document a landscape in flux. By subjecting the film itself to external forces—submersion in seawater, exposure to the elements, and physical hand manipulation—the work becomes an extension of the environment it portrays. The resulting imagery does not merely record erosion but embodies its effects, immersing the viewer in the eternal struggle between land and sea.

Accompanying this visual narrative is a haunting soundtrack by Demian Castellanos, crafted entirely from a one-minute field recording of waves breaking upon the shore. Through a meticulous process of looping and analogue manipulation, the original sound source is progressively transformed. Effects such as distortion, phaser, flanger, reverb, and reverse reverb—short reflection delays—layer and erode the recording until the rhythmic waves morph into a dense, corrosive wash of sound, echoing the destructive power of the sea itself.

By drawing attention to this beautiful yet ruthless interchange of states, the film offers an alternative perspective on coastal erosion, encouraging viewers to see the shifting landscape not just as a site of loss, but as a space of transformation and raw, elemental power. In doing so, it invites us to reconsider our relationship with these vanishing places, even if only for a moment.