A Drawn Line

A section of maritime border (English Channel seawater, swimming pool lane divider, stainless steel tank), jerry can, postcard, spit, tin box, wall print, vibration resonance speaker

In May 2025, I traced the maritime border between the UK and France in the English Channel by dragging a 50-metre swimming pool lane divider behind a boat. For my degree show, I installed the seawater collected at the border—along with the rope—across the exhibition space, effectively dividing the room with the actual border line.

The initial plan was to let this line span across the middle of the room in a way that couldn't be ignored. With two entry points to the space, viewers were forced to either step over the line or deliberately walk around my space—enacting, in physical terms, the decision to cross or avoid a border.

From the ceiling hang jerry cans used to collect the seawater, each inscribed with the phrase:
“Sovereignty begins where movement stops.”
Also on display are five postcards printed with photographs documenting the placement of the lane divider at sea, and a sample of saliva from a person who was denied entry to the UK. The saliva is mounted on a wall print made from a satellite map commonly used by fishermen, with visible shipwreck markers and place names.

The English Channel is the most frequently crossed border in the world, layered with colonial, political, and ecological histories. By presenting the border line itself, I aimed to let the Channel speak for itself.

A stainless steel tank filled with the collected seawater is fitted with a vibration resonance speaker, transforming the tank into a sound device. The sound—recorded underwater while crossing the UK-France border—resonates throughout the space.

Photo Credit René Lazový