Hastings Contemporary extols life above and below the waves with two new exhibitions

Our relationship with the sea is explored in two concurrent exhibitions opening next month at Hastings Contemporary, East Sussex.

The Sun Feeds the Wind will showcase the living histories of the seaside town’s fishing community — one of Europe’s oldest and now deemed under threat (below). Boats have been launched from Hastings’s beach, the Stade (Anglo Saxon for ‘landing place’), for more than 1,000 years, since the time of the Vikings.

Fishing is fully integrated into the town’s identity, yet with the changing climate and an ageing workforce, the fleet now numbers only 25 boats. With a £249,972 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the exhibition, designed by Jane Bruce, is part of a year-long project with the Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society to raise awareness.

Included are an immersive sound installation by artist Mary Hooper featuring an oral history archive of the fishing community — she and the society have been recording conversations since 2011 — and moving images by local artist Nichola Bruce and video designer Sam Sharples. ‘Inshore fishing faces immediate and existential threats, but, as fishermen, we are eternally optimistic for a brighter future,’ explains Paul Joy, chairman of Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society. ‘As custodians of the sea, we connect our town to its history, with traditions which pre-date 1066, and to its future — offering answers to the challenges facing our oceans and coastal communities. We are excited to share our stories and preserve them for future generations.’

At the same time, the mysteries of life below the waves are illustrated in 75 paintings, prints, drawings and objects from around the world, spanning four centuries. Undersea, curated by art historian James Russell, brings mermaids, sirens and the perils of wrestling with an octopus to the fore with sometimes haunting visuality.

Fairy-tale illustrator Arthur Rackham, 19th-century Japanese printmaker Taiso Yoshitoshi, Surrealist Paul Delvaux and contemporary artists Klodin Erb, Damien Hirst, Michael Armitage and Tom Anholt are all represented. ‘I’m excited about the internationalism of the show, as we have works from the UK, US, Japan, China, India, Australasia, Europe and Africa,’ comments Russell. ‘There are themes that I think will appeal widely, particularly the mermaid’s section, among which Delvaux’s A Siren in Full Moonlight and a set of 27 strange and wonderful mermaid paintings by Klodin Erb are superb. Another striking work is Mia Weiner’s contemporary textile piece Sirens.’

Leah Cross, director of programmes at Hastings Contemporary, adds that ‘the sea is a cultural space shared by many nations and peoples, and to reflect this, the works on display cross borders, traditions and histories, and celebrate the pleasures of difference’.

‘The Sun Feeds the Wind’ and ‘Undersea’ are at Hastings Contemporary from 29th March to 14th September.