The Ballast Project

Nathan Coley

The British artist Nathan Coley planned a special artwork, 'Bringing Back the Ballast', for Het Scheepvaartmuseum, the National Maritime Museum, in Amsterdam. Coley designed a wall with the underlying idea that it be built of 17th century Dutch bricks that had once travelled out to Dutch colonies as ballast in empty East India Company ships. After an intensive search, a sea container with a typical Dutch Delftware make-over (Studio Léon&Loes) travelled by way of Singapore, Australia, Suriname and Sint Eustatius. After a few fine years of collaboration by Nathan Coley, the Maritime Museum and Joost ten Bruggencate from Mothership, the bricks have now been laid in a 2.5 x 15 meter wall in the museum and the project is entirely wrapped up.

The art work is accompanied by a publication, designed by Studio Léon&Loes, which has been presented on the 23rd of November at Het Scheepvaartmuseum.

Commissioned by Government Buildings Agency and Nathan Coley Mothership acted as producer.

www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl