With climate change comes the transformation of landscapes, the disruption of familiar ways of life—but also a curiosity about radical reordering. What landscapes lie ahead, and how do we want to meet them? Sinking Cities is an international research project. At the Weserburg, it now opens as an artistic training and research station, where children and adults alike can prepare physically and emotionally for the changes to their environment. Stine Hertel, Jan Rohwedder, and Daniel Dominguez Teruel invite visitors to envision rising sea levels and engage with the forces of water. Stories are gathered, knowledge is shared, and imagination is expanded.
In a performance and installation, Sinking Cities explores future urban coastal landscapes and the movement of water and sand. A sound installation captures the power of the waves through a bass speaker that sweeps across sand-based scenographies. Together with the audience, the three artists seek ways to confront nature’s forces, change, and farewell. They invite everyone to participate in transformative training and quiet contemplation—among sandbags.
This artistic project is part of the international research initiative Sinking Cities, a collaboration on climate transformation and cultural heritage by HafenCity University Hamburg, in partnership with the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) Potsdam, Schwankhalle Bremen, Rujak Center for Urban Studies (Jakarta), and B’sarya for Arts (Alexandria). After installations in Alexandria and Jakarta, Bremen is the third station in this art–science collaboration.
About Rotterdam Presenta and Daniel Dominguez Teruel:
The performance platform Rotterdam Presenta, based in Düsseldorf, brings together international performance artists, choreographers, architects, and light and sound designers. The collective develops new formats for performance, research, and gathering. Currently, they are working on active landscapes and the open-source construction of their temporary, accessible rehearsal stage THE STUDIO.
Daniel Dominguez Teruel is a composer whose work addresses questions of (national) identity, division, and community. In recent years, he has focused increasingly on the human voice. His piece LOVESONG, which deconstructs the German national anthem musically, was presented at the 2022 Impulse Theater Festival, among others.
Fig.: Sinking Cities, Foto: Jan Rohwedder