From 10 May until 4 July 2023, you can visit the Nieuwe Gaanderijen in Ostend for the photo exhibition ‘Christian Clauwers: on the front line of global warming’, which focuses on the RV Belgica and marine science. All the images were made by explorer-photographer Christian Clauwers during an expedition on the Belgica, the Belgian research ship of the Federal Science Policy and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
Address: Nieuwe Gaanderijen, Koning Boudewijnpromenade (Zeedijk) z/n – 8400 Ostend
Price: free
A floating laboratory
Christian Clauwers is not only a photographer, but also an explorer, speaker and author. He has already sailed around the world twice, visited no fewer than 114 countries on all seven continents, and explored some of the planet’s most remote islands. His work focuses on the fragile relationship – and potential conflict – between humans and nature.
Scientists on the front line
Christian Clauwers was given the unique opportunity to sail on the TalPro22 expedition that set sail for the Tyrrhenian Sea. Aboard the Belgica, he captured both scientific research and the impact of the relationship between man and nature on film. The ship has more than 400 square metres of laboratory space and carries several high-tech oceanographic measuring instruments. For example, the rozette, a cylindrical structure from which sampling tubes and measuring equipment hang, can be lowered to a depth of up to 5,000 metres. It takes two hours to bring the measuring instrument back up, and this in conditions that can change rapidly. The ship is equipped with satellite technology that allows it to hold position to within a metre, even in the most difficult weather conditions. The photos let us take a look behind the scenes of these impressive experiments.
A must-see for anyone concerned about the future of our planet
But the expo is more than just looking at pretty pictures. Facing the sea, it is a call-to-action to take the fragility of our planet seriously.
Christian Clauwers: ” I want to give people the chance to witness what nature has to offer us and at the same time show them how precious it is. The series on the Belgica expresses this very nicely, because the scientific research carried out there makes that fragility of nature measurable. The scientists on board measure what I try to photograph, and now I photograph what they measure. It’s an exchange where the arrow goes both ways and that’s what makes it so fascinating.”
The expo shows the consequences of the human footprint and what is at stake if we do not act to tackle climate change. It is an impressive and inspiring example of how images can be used to raise awareness and change the world.
