'grounded' installation explores the future of dutch terschelling polder

during the oerol festival on terschelling island, the netherlands, studio elmo vermijs installed ‘grounded’, a project that resulted from a long-term inventory of the polder. with the meadow birds as the indicator, the designer investigated the wellbeing of this ancient cultural landscape that is under increasing pressure. two separate works, ‘soundmirror’ and ‘perspective’, show how the area transformed from sea to polder and production ground, and how the fate of the meadow bird changed with it.

soundmirror

for soundmirror, elmo vermijs used manure, compost, and sea clay to reflect the sounds of the meadow birds, which depend on these materials for their food supply. concrete sound mirrors, the giant structures that functioned as an early warning system for approaching enemy aircraft in the first world war, inspired elmo vermijs to make this installation.

perspective examines the origin and cultural-historical development of the polder based on stories of eleven current habitants. visitors are invited to walk across a layer of compost and view the polder from a birds-eye perspective and to reflect on the question ‘who is the owner of this land?’

project info:

designer: studio elmo vermijs

collaborator: festival oerol

graphic design: walewijn den boer

photography: elmo vermijs

video: wout boekeloo

construction: arie van ziel

rammed earth specialist: charles thuijls

materials: cupcompost & gerard cupido