Soundings

Soundings is about a sense of the monumental. About stepping out of the wind for a moment. About walking into the earth. About setting off down a path with no end. About the memories of water. About staying close whilst far away. About the silence beneath all the sounds.

Soundings is a long-term, large-scale art project by Sense of Place and Ruimtetijd, comprising nine semi-permanent art installations in the landscape of North Groningen.

Over a thousand years ago, the first dykes were built along the Wadden Sea and the land was reclaimed. Today, almost every metre of this man-made landscape has been put to use.

Amidst all this activity, Soundings opens nine spaces that invite visitors to pause and listen, in the broadest sense of the word.

Over a thousand years ago, the first dykes were built along the Wadden Sea and the land was reclaimed. Today, almost every metre of this man-made landscape has been put to use.

Amidst all this hustle and bustle, Soundings opens nine spaces that invite visitors to pause and listen, in the broadest sense of the word.

The installations, each with its own timeline and form, respond to specific characteristics of the area:

Water ↔ Fire – The distinctive churches and red bricks
Earth ↔ Air – The dark nights and the ever-present wind
Human ↔ Nature – Industry, agriculture and nature conservation
Plain ↔ Depth – The flat farmland and the hidden history
Space – Potato farming and the path inwards and outwards

The nine works can be visited individually, are interrelated and form a single whole. Each location has a marker showing a map on which the next or previous spaces can be found, linked by a cycle route of approximately 75 kilometres.

The nine spaces:

a house – a tunnel – a garden – a room – a labyrinth – a path – a mound – a shelter – an amphitheatre

The term ‘Soundings’ encompasses both a physical and a metaphorical quest: it involves gauging depths, listening to surroundings and exploring the invisible layers of a landscape and society.

Surroundings

Whilst Soundings focuses on the story of the landscape, our three-year art programme, Surroundings, centres on the stories of the local residents.

From September to November 2026, artists will be working alongside residents of Het Hogeland on projects exploring landscape, memory, faith, a sense of community, and the relationship between people and their environment.

Collaboration

In 2020, Joop Mulder (1953–2021), founder of Sense of Place, asked renowned artists to develop an art project designed to allow the public to experience the unique characteristics and beauty of this Groningen Wadden Sea landscape. This led to a collaboration with Robert Wilson, Theun Mosk and Andreas Oskar Hirsch., marking the beginning of Soundings. In early 2024, artist Rita Hoofwijk joined the artistic team.

The artistic director of Soundings is Theun Mosk, co-founder of Ruimtetijd, who was born and raised in the north of Friesland. The Wadden Sea landscape has shaped him and is an integral part of who he is. He was first introduced to Robert Wilson’s (1941–2025) working methods in 2003 when, as a young artist fresh from graduating from the Rietveld Academy, he attended a workshop at The Watermill Centre. In 2008, he presented the performance Walking at Oerol, in collaboration with Robert Wilson and theatre maker Boukje Schweigman.

Inspired by ‘Walking’, Mosk and Wilson set out to create a route that enhances the sensory experience of the landscape. This marked the beginning of ‘Soundings’. Wilson said of Mosk: “I like working with Theun because we think alike,” said Wilson. “We come from a theatre background with a strong interest in architecture and design. Most visual people in theatre are set designers. Theun isn’t; he thinks in a completely different way. His work is architectural.”

Visit Soundings

The first artwork, Water has been on display at the Georgiuskerk in Stitswerd since May 2026.
The second artwork, Natuur, can be visited at the Oosterbos in Eenrum.

The remaining artworks will be created during 2026 and 2027. Together, they will eventually form a route through Het Hogeland.

Soundings is made possible in part by Stichting Beringer-Hazewinkel, Stichting De Versterking, BPD Cultuurfonds, het Cultuurfonds, The Northern Cultural Fund, Municipality of Het Hogeland, het Waddenfonds and het Nationaal Programma Groningen. The project is in collaboration with Groningen Province, Groninger Landscape, Landscape Management Groningen, Municipality of Het Hogeland, Groninger Museum, and Noorderzijlvest Water Board, among others.

Click on the tiles below to find out more about the nine works:

Locatie: Hoofdstraat 83 9968 AB Pieterburen.