‘Plastic Sea, Perfect Storm’ – Pop-Up Photo Exhibition by The Europeans

Across Europe, Hornstra and van Bruggen see nationalism rising, democracies under pressure, and war back on the continent. The political dream of a united and peaceful Europe seems increasingly fragile. “In The Europeans, we travel to multiple regions across the continent to explore what it means to be European today. Every chapter ends with a local exhibition and publication — not always in museums or galleries, but also in public spaces, storefronts and other places where people live and meet.”

Plastic Sea, Perfect Storm
What if a crisis catches you off guard to such an extent that you become physically unwell and feel depressed? You experience the loss of the world that once was. Ambiguous loss, psychologists call it: the world is still there, but something seems to have been taken from you. Lawlessness, pollution, climate change, a raging economy focused on profits and growth. It can awaken a sense of powerlessness within you, make you mourn that intangible thing that seems lost forever. Grief can bring anger, action, but also acceptance and defeatism; let the storm rage. In the sea of ​​plastic, modern Europe reveals itself in all its nakedness.

In southern Spain lies Europe’s largest vegetable garden: an endless sea of plastic greenhouses, visible even from space. Thanks to abundant sunshine and efficient water use, it supplies cheap vegetables and fruit to our supermarkets. But behind this efficiency lie the exploitation of migrants, inhumane living conditions, and ecological devastation. How long will Europe tolerate exploitation and ecological ruin—all for the sake of cheap produce?

The pop-up photo exhibition will be open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 13:00h to 17:30h.
Please note: The exhibition will not open on Wednesday 22 April.
Book launch: 7 May, 16:00 – 18.30h