Falling into the Sea

Falling into the Sea is a study of the communities and their homes located on the cliffs along the coast of the UK that are gradually falling into the sea due to coastal erosion. These homes are made increasingly more precarious due to climate change as the material form of coastal regions are reshaped at an increasing rate around the globe. The east coast of the UK is one of the fastest eroding coastline in Europe.

The research covers the coast as a dynamic space of intersection between people, their memories, the sea and long-time scale geological movement. These forces give rise to tensions between acknowledging that everything changes and the need to hold onto personal heritage through material and metaphysical representation of memories. Concepts and patterns of time are imprinted and made visible on the working processes along the coastline, from slow unfolding geological timescales through to the constant shifting of weather patterns and the ebb and flow of the tide. I was also captivated by the Sandmartins who also make their homes in the cliffs that also get washed away.

I’ve utilised different recording techniques to uncover the unheard sounds of the active processes along the coast. This includes hydrophones to connect to the underwater sounds of the sea creatures and geophones to hear the movements from deep within the earth, as well as surround microphone rigs and parabolic dishes.