PIER + HORIZON
The 7th piece of land art for the Flevopolders commissioned by the county Flevoland and the municipal Noordoostpolder.
Before the Noordoostpolder was drained, a six kilometre long jetty connected the Zwarte Meer in Overijssel with a former lighthouse called Oud Kraggenburg in the middle of the Zuider Zee. PIER + HORIZON is an attempt to bring this jetty back to the surface. The former dam was built on a foundation of strips of entangled water plants and peat-land that float on the water (kraggen);. The north-eastern part of Overijssel is largely made up of floating peat-land. In an area of about four ha surrounding the jetty is a field of poles in a grid that is inspired by the strict landscaping of the Noordoostpolder. Attached to every pole is a long piece of peat-land planted with cane that floats on the water and has the ability to turn 360 degrees relative to its anchor point. When the water level rises, the floating islands will rise with it, the direction of the wind will determine their orientation. The jetty is accessible for the public (except during breeding season). Alone on the thin and long pier looking over the vastness of the Zwarte Meer surrounded by the giant field of floating islands, one might experience what in the field of art philosophy is called ‘The Sublime’.
From the dyke and the extended point of the jetty a webcam will take a picture each morning at half past seven; when the horizon is aligned with the pier. Over a longer period of time a sequence will grow. This sequence will eventually be shown on a website. In the meantime, the seasons will pass by gradually and the islands sway restlessly on the breeze of the wind. Now and then, the sun will shine, it will rain, there might be fog, or a storm, it might snow, or a thin layer of ice might adorn the Zwarte Meer.
Unveiling; October 2016
WWW.PIER+HORIZON.NL
For more information about this design, see the booklet PIER + HORIZON (English)
HERE you can check live images of PIER+HORIZON via a webcam on the Zwartemeerdijk.