Captain Boomer Collective
- Words
- Hannah Edwards
A beached whale has always been an exciting, magical and at the same time a disturbing event. Nowadays the beaching of a whale is more of a gigantic metaphor for the disruption of the ecological system by human kind. The Belgian collective ‘Captain Boomer’ used this metaphor for their latest installation – a life-sized beached sperm whale on the shore of London’s river Thames at Greenwich.
+ Read More‘The psychological archetype of the dead big fish leaves no one untouched. It stirs and mobilizes a local community.’ Captain Boomer states. During the beachings the collective has noticed an intensive interaction among the observing group around the installation. Furthermore ‘the sperm whale appeals to everyone, regardless of social or cultural background. It is the place where everyone gets together.’ Placing fake researchers around the whale, the Belgian artists created an authentic scene. But due to the fact of also placing actual scientists on site, the educational dimension to the beaching could be made clear and Captain Boomer was able to supply ample information about sperm whales and why they beach.
All images © Captain Boomer
