In 2022, Art Walk Projects invited three artists to collaborate on a project titled Deluge that would link three saltmarsh locations: in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria; East Lothian, Scotland; and The Wadden Sea, Netherlands. The three coastlines are all based at important saltmarsh locations, containing crucial ecosystems, which play an integral part in tidal wetland systems and in sequestering global marine carbon.

The project is a collaboration between Art Walk Projects (Edinburgh); Art Gene (Barrow-in-Furness); and Anna-Rosja Haveman PhD candidate at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands).

Taking the form of a relay, Linde Ex, Dana Olărescu, and Oscar van Heek each took time to travel to these saltmarsh locations looking at ways of engaging with the climate emergency specific to each coastline.

During 2023, a series of community engagement works was programmed for Portobello, Edinburgh, with a touring exhibition involving the three saltmarsh habitats planned for 2024. Reflections on the first residency can be found in Art Walk Projects’ Salt publication.

Saltmarshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides. They provide shelter, food, and nursery grounds for birds, fish, insects and other wildlife. Additionally, they help to protect the coast by preventing the shorelines from damage by incoming waves. Their benefits are particularly significant in light of the destruction caused to coastal communities by storms and flooding which are likely to increase as we experience climate change. They are also an excellent source of carbon storage; per unit, they store as much carbon as tropical forests. Yet, in the UK, only 45.000 hectares are left compared to 1 million hectares of peatland.

And yet, saltmarshes are not perceived to be as ‘attractive’ as other natural assets including beaches, sand dunes, trees and more. As a result, Dana is investigating the relationship between saltmarshes, the climate crisis, and advertisement. The 2022 residency prompted the idea to design a series of artist-made positive advertisements of saltmarshes which will be displayed on large billboards in the three project locations. These will be aimed at local residents and stakeholders who can learn about this incredible habitat and its benefits.

In 2023, Dana conducted two walks in Edinburgh to familiarise locals with her research, and a workshop in Barrow-in-Furness.

1. The first walk and talk took place in Aberlady Bay Nature reserve, the first nature reserve in the UK. Dr Helena Simmons and Dr Haley Arnold from the Green Shores Project joined to explain about creating 30,000 square metres of young salt marsh within the Dornoch Firth, the Tay and the Eden Estuaries. Attendees were then invited to explore the saltmarsh in silence, tuning up to the site, and ultimately sharing their favourite moments with others. What if we shared our knowledge about this habitat and found ways to spread it widely in our cities and towns?

2. The second walk was led by visual artist, photographer, and Adblock Lambeth co-founder Camille Aboudaram in Portobello, Edinburgh.Camille discussed outdoor advertising and its impacts on our consumerist lifestyle, drawing a link with the climate crisis and our mental health. Attendees were led on a busy and polluted A road, then on a high street, learned how public spaces were managed, and what they could do to support or object stakeholders’ decisions.

   At the end of the walk, a poster displaying nature images came to everyone’s attention, allowing attendees to imagine alternatives to the status quo. What if community voices drowned out corporate public messaging?

3. As part of the Allotment Soup: Outdoor exhibition and Open Day at Art Gene, Dana led a workshop which looked at learnings from this incredible landscape, becoming more involved in its restoration, and making posters that celebrated saltmarshes using advertisement techniques. These will serve as inspiration for the 2024 travelling exhibition.

Photo credits: Dana Olărescu, Oscar Van Heek, Anna Rosja Haveman, Camille Aboudaram, Maddi Nicholson.