Somewhere Becoming Sea is an exhibition of international artists’ works, curated by FVU for Hull UK City of Culture 2017. It examines the fluctuating boundaries between land and sea, at a time when a warming global climate threatens sea-level rises and equally far-reaching economic forces are already encroaching on traditional patterns of maritime industry and trade. Highlighting Hull’s longstanding place as a gateway to the North Sea (and destinations beyond), the exhibition considers how the city has been at the sharp end of some of these changes, but is also at the forefront of a greater understanding of them. Capturing the elemental power of the sea as it hits the shore (and as it plays on people’s imagination), the works in the show reflect how the expanse of water that divides countries has always also been a channel that connects them.

Featuring recently produced work by artists from across the North Sea region, the exhibition draws out affinities in history, culture, topography and language, and points to a shared interest in harnessing, moderating, or better appreciating the vital presence of the sea in our future ecology and economy. Encompassing works in many media, including moving-image, photography, audio, objects and text, Somewhere Becoming Sea includes contributions from Simon Faithfull, Nikolaj Bendix Skyum Larsen, Ruth Maclennan, Isabella Martin, Cecilia Stenbom, Esther Johnson, Gunnar Jónsson, Guy Moreton, Nina Sverdvik, Christine Clinckx, Alec Finlay and Hanna Tuulikki, and features the 2016 FVU commission The Sea is an Edge and an Ending by Lavinia Greenlaw.