The Sea by Night

Aukje Dekker & Sexyland

2023, Netherlands

Video 

Recording of performance made for the ‘Home Hope’ exhibition at Larnaca Biennale

In ‘The Sea by Night’, Aukje Dekker & Sexyland seek to recreate the shimmering of the moon on the sea in a performance involving twenty-two residents of the island of Cyprus. Cyprus is inextricably linked to the sea, which has played a crucial role in shaping the history, economy, and culture of the island, leading to trade, geopolitical significance, and cultural exchanges.  

Part Greek, part Turkish, Cyprus receives proportionally the highest number of asylum applications in the entire European Union. People from all over the world, forced to leave their homes behind, have crossed the sea to find new homes in Europe. Many of them have stayed in Cyprus, increasing the diversity of the island’s population.  

For the recorded performance ‘The Sea by Night’, Dekker aimed to represent this diversity, comprehensively and poetically: ‘From Armenians to Libanese, from Greek Cypriots to Turkish Cypriots, legal or illegal residents, they will all merge into the sea and shine.’  

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Aukje Dekker, co-founder of the cultural club Sexyland, gives collaboration with others a central role in her art projects. She does not limit herself to one medium but expands her vision to all forms of contemporary art, from photography to performance. 

SEXYLAND is a (cultural) club with a different owner every day. All kinds of ideas can take the stage. The focus is on experimentation and the courage to dare to fail. Celebrated artists looking to reinvent themselves, emerging talents, notorious local bands, Latin L.A.R.P. nights, and bar mitzvahs for cats – we’ve seen it all.

SEXYLAND is a stage for everyone, whether established, budding, or overlooked. The only predictable thing is that you never know what to expect. If you have a great idea that you want to bring to the club, get in touch!