In the Dutch Mountains
2023
Artificial mountains can be found in any place of the world. But only in the dutch lowlands, they stand out as such particular features in the landscape. Already 2500 years ago, people inhabited the tidelands at the coast of the northern Netherlands. To protect their house and cattle from the tide, they built mounds from earth on which they dwelt, known as terps. The long history of the anthropogenic landscape forms the backdrop of an extensive research project about the cultural, architectural and ecological dimension of artificial hills in the Netherlands. The project also pursues the question of how these new landscapes are perceived and aesthetically judged. From the research a large collection of photographic material has emerged that documents the displaced matter in a variety of contexts. The project was shown as lecture performances and currently a short film is in the making.