‘Rising Tide’ Exhibit at Maritime Museum Shows ‘Fragility of Life at Water’s Edge’

A new exhibit at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, portrays the human costs of the climate crisis through the lens of Dutch photographer Kadir van Lohuizen.

The “Rising Tide” exhibit, open through Labor Day weekend, is being staged on two vessels in the fleet – on the Orlop deck of the world’s oldest active sailing ship, the 1863 Star of India, and the 1898 Victorian-era steam ferryboat Berkeley.

Van Lohuizen sought to illustrate the consequences of climate change across the world after he felt the effects close to home. He used photographs, video, drone images and sound for the exhibit, which debuted in 2021 at the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. 

San Diego is the first maritime museum on the Pacific Coast to host the photographer’s work.

“The exhibit demonstrates the fragility of life at the water’s edge where the vast majority of humanity currently lives,” said Raymond Ashley, president and CEO of the Maritime Museum of San Diego. “Most Maritime Museums talk about what happens when civilization, in terms of ships, go to sea. This exhibit is the inverse of that when the sea intrudes upon civilization.”

In response to the pressing implications of rising sea levels, the Netherlands faced a critical wake-up call on Jan. 8, 2019, when a severe Northwestern storm, compounded by the spring tide, triggered flooding on the island of Terschelling.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, van Lohuizen has set out to capture the consequences of the climate crisis, particularly rising sea levels.

The work took him to Greenland, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Panama, Kiribati, Fiji, Jakarta, Miami, New York, and his native Netherlands, where he delved into the human stories – from ordinary citizens and policymakers – behind the escalating challenge.

The exhibition was co-developed by Noor, an Amsterdam-based international agency for documentary photography and visual storytelling.

Entry to the Rising Tide exhibit is included with museum admission. Adult tickets cost $24, seniors 62 and over, military and students cost $18, and youth ages 3-12 cost $12.