I went looking for a ship

In 2016 the Province of Noord-Holland and the Noord-Hollands Archive commissioned Natascha Libbert to photograph the sea locks at IJmuiden. Redevelopment of the locks between 2016 and 2022 will facilitate the passage of increasingly large freight and cruise ships, thereby consolidating the position of the Port of Amsterdam.

What started as a study of the locks and surroundings gradually evolved into a broader exploration of themes such as destruction and construction, the invisibility of sea transport, and the landscape changes brought about by port development. As the volume of freight carried across the seas increases, the shipping industry disappears further and further from our consciousness.

As she navigated her way through the maritime world, Libbert not only took photographs but also kept a logbook, wrote a glossary, and compiled archival and reference material, all of which collectively document her time at the locks, on the seas and in the port.