Drawn to the depths
Here, modern art meets stories of past work beneath the sea
At Strandingsmuseum St. George, modern art merges with stories of past underwater work and Denmark’s very first divers.
In the early 19th century, human movement in the North Sea was limited to the surface and the shallow coastal waters.
What lay in the depths was only accessible through washed-up finds or with the help of hooks, tongs, and nets. But by the middle of the century, the exploration of the underwater world had begun.
Salvage companies, equipped with diving bells, air pumps, and diving suits, gained access to shipwrecks on the seabed.
Naturalists started exploring marine life—often with help from local coastal communities. Writers and artists created fantastical stories and works that inspired visions and dreams of an unknown world beneath the waves.
Together with four artists, Strandingsmuseum St. George invites visitors to reflect on the scientific, technological, and artistic advancements of the 19th century—and how they continue to shape our relationship with the sea and the underwater world today.