The 8th Sea: the disobedience of water

Artists and collectives are invited to submit an artwork proposal for an exhibition that will be organised on the occasion of the Seawomen Parade 2.

The "Seven Seas" is a figurative term for all the seas of the known world. The Greek historian Herodotus believed, as did many of his contemporaries, that the Mediterranean Sea was the centre of the world and the cradle of civilisations, so he identified the seven seas according to his perspective. Through the ages, the Seven Seas have become the fantasy setting of unforgettable voyages and discoveries. By now we know that the Mediterranean Sea is not the centre of the world, just as there are other seas besides it in which stories of pirates, discoverers and adventurers have been told.

The 8th Sea as conceptual framework and main stage wants to look at alternative and feminist perspectives on the sea and the port, weaving relationships in a proactive and provocative response to male destruction, thirst for conquest and individualism. From the totality of the works of the 7 selected artists, the 8th sea will emerge. The interventions may relate to notions of appropriation, feminism, migratory channels and politics of water, but also community and counter-strategies, in the same way as ‘floating bodies’ tie together issues which touch upon both the ecological and the political. As the Ocean represents an ungovernable matter that manifests, both within it and around it, countless myths, this is an invitation to attune to our continuity with the Geo-body to transform and articulate a different relation through the lens of a new epistemological universe conceived under sensual values, a mandate of wonder and collective action.              Fluidity goes beyond the male/female dichotomy into current political and ecological catastrophes through feminine and poetic narratives. Moving from a place of critical reflection on the thought systems of contemporary western society and the ways they are embedded and embodied with dangerous effects in our biosocial interactions.

What is the right to the sea?                                                                                                                                                                                           How can we broaden access to the port and shake solid ground?

We aim for unexpected findings for imaginative geographies of the seascape unfolding before us. 


All Shefarers* on Deck!
"With a parade of ships and boats we will sail through Hamburg’s harbour and make women* in the harbour and at sea visible, audible and tangible.
The Seawomen parade looks for movement in maritime gender relations and advocates for an alternative, feminist perspective internationally on seas and in ports ...
                                                                                                                     ... examines the role that the port plays in the city of Hamburg and its colonial history and wants to broaden access to the port in a variety of ways and shake solid ground.”   (from https://seefrauenparade.com)