Synopsis

The Dutch delta tells the story of constant struggle, resistance and negotiation between land, water, and people. It is always in motion – from fluctuating tides and historic floods to flows of global trade and engineering mega works.

In Reporting the Delta, archival documentaries by, among others, Bert Haanstra, Louis van Gasteren, and George Sluizer are used as tools to investigate the transformations of the Dutch delta. These films capture the ambition of reshaping nature and mastering water’s movements and serve as points of departure for a broader exploration.

Through essays, interviews, and visual digests, Reporting the Delta weaves together voices from science, art, and design. The book offers a visual and narrative reflection on the entangled forces of technology, climate, and daily life, resulting in a compelling journey through a delta in a constant state of adaptation.

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This publication is part of the project ‘Reporting space, time, and everyday life in the delta’, funded by the TU Delft Climate Action Programme (Seed Fund 2022) and organized within the Delta Urbanism research group, the section of Environmental technology and design, the department of Urbanism from the faculty of Architecture and the built environment, TU Delft.

The project was curated by Luca Iuorio, Sophia Arbara, and Carissa Champlin, with Feike Smithuis, Amber Coppens, and Merel Garritsen, and developed in collaboration with Rommy Albers of the Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam.

This publication was made possible through the financial support of the TU Delft Climate Action Programme and TU Delft OPEN Publishing, and benefited from the collaboration of the Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam.