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Esther van der Heijden (1993) examines how water ecosystems change under ecological and economic pressure, and how this pressure affects both human and non-human life. In her practice, she interweaves archival material, interviews and fieldwork with film, performance, sculpture and textiles.
At Prospects, Van der Heijden presents The Dance of the Mechanic (2026), an installation that emerged from her research into sponge diving on the Greek island of Kalymnos. For centuries, sponge diving was a craft practised within local communities. In the 19th century, however, the practice changed dramatically. Heavy copper diving suits and oxygen supplies made deeper and longer dives possible, bringing significant risks: many divers succumbed to decompression sickness. At the same time, industrialization and capitalist expansion increased the pressure on divers to push their bodies to the limit in pursuit of higher yields.
The installation at Prospects consists of a film diptych, sculptures and a textile work. In the film, Van der Heijden integrates archival material, interviews, recordings made in a decompression chamber and footage of the traditional dance O Choros Tou Michanikou, which honours the sponge divers of Kalymnos. Subtle parallels emerge between the fragile body of the diver and the sponge itself: porous, vulnerable, yet resilient. The sculptures enter into a physical dialogue with the film, deepening the exploration of bodies under pressure. Through this installation, Van der Heijden brings a layered narrative to life in which economic and bodily pressure converge and the relationship between humans and the ocean becomes tangible.
Written by Sarah van Binsbergen