When artist Karlijn van Diepen sees a whale lying on the beach, she decides to investigate the relationship people have with the animal. With her camera she makes a journey that leads across seas, along beaches and up mountains, in search of the answer.
Throughout history the whale has carried many meanings: from source of livelihood to mythical being, from character in novels and the Bible to icon of nature conservation. Today it is even seen as an ally in the fight against climate change. Again and again our view of the whale changes – and with it our relationship to nature.
A whale on the beach confronts us with the vulnerability of both animal and human. In film and photography, Van Diepen brings together details of skin, hair, bones, stones, water and seaweed. The images are an attempt to come closer to the animal and a lost connection