Bound to the Miraculous

In 1975, Bas Jan Ader embarked on a sailing trip from Cape God (USA) to Groningen (NL) on his own. Bas Jan was a Dutch artist and the trip was part of what was to become the triptych ‘In Search of the Miraculous’. Six months after his departure, his boat was found. The ‘Ocean Wave’ was half submerged off the coast of Ireland. Bas Jan had disappeared.

No film

The story still captivates people. Why did an experienced sailor take to that immense Atlantic Ocean in a 13-feet boat!? Was it supposed to happen: this venture failing and Bas Jan falling into the ocean? Falling and failing is a recurring theme in the work of the artist who often filmed his escapades. But there is no film of this Atlantic Ocean’s adventure.

Zero-player Game & Art installation

The Scottish-Danish artist Edward Clydesdale Thomson, who lives and works in Rotterdam, drew inspiration from the story of the enigmatic sailing trip. He turned it – together with Utrecht University and Breda University of Applied Sciences – into a fascinating installation. Bound to the Miraculous, it is called. It has assumed the form of a zero-player Game & Art installation.

An everlasting journey

‘With this project, we have transformed Bas Jan Ader’s ill-fated voyage into a continuous and everlasting journey,’ says Thomson. ‘In the installation, the Ocean Wave once again sets sail from Cape Cod to Groningen, this time floating on a simulated ocean. As the virtual boat sails across the Atlantic Ocean, the oceanographic and weather conditions constantly change based on the real weather situation at the time. So we follow the boat in real time and with every failed attempt to cross the ocean, the journey starts all over again.’

Simulation

The research team of the Cradle Lab of Breda University of Applied Sciences was commissioned to develop the simulation and did so in Unreal Engine 5, a real-time 3D creation tool. One of the researchers is Tuki Clavero. ‘For this installation, we created a system that extracts data from a professional weather system, allowing us to mimic the current weather at a particular location on the Atlantic Ocean,’ Tuki clarifies. ‘We also created an Artificial Intelligence system to pilot the boat, reacting to the challenges of the actual weather circumstances.’

Marine weather profiles

BUas’ researchers worked closely together with their Utrecht counterparts. With this project, the department of Oceanology at Utrecht University had a great opportunity to deploy its ‘OceanParcels’ software in a real-time setting. ‘We benefited very much from the advice of our Utrecht partners,’ Tuki says, ‘they helped us, for example, with an accurate representation of the marine weather profiles we developed for the installation.’

Something to think about

Back to Edward Clydesdale Thomson, because it all started with him. Why this installation, why the story of Bas Jan Ader? ‘In this project the memory of Ader’s voyage serves as a frame story which allows us to explore questions about the climate, weather and pollution,’ Thomson explains. ‘The difference between today and the seventies is that we are becoming increasingly aware that our actions have effects on climate and weather patterns. What dangers will a tiny boat encounter in this modern world? With the growing frequency and intensity of Atlantic storms the Ocean Waves’ journey becomes increasingly certain to fail. That’s something to think about.’

Human narrative

‘By using Bas Jan Ader’s story, we have created a human narrative,’ Tuki concludes. ‘And by using the experimental power of gaming, the user can feel how climate, and by implication climate change, affects us all in a very personal way.’

The project was recently completed and was supported by creativeindustriesfund.nl. You can check out the result here. If you would like to find out more about this project, please contact Tuki Clavero via [email protected].