Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) Research from TU Delft in the Rijksmuseum

A smart alternative to the traditional sandbag and an experiment with clay to learn more about strengthening dikes. These are two examples of TU Delft research that is currently being exhibited as art at the Rijksmuseum. The photos are part of the exhibition called DUURZAAM / SUSTAIN / TENE by the artist Sharelly Emanuelson, and follow from visits to TU Delft in which she sought answers to the question: How are people involved in sustainability in their daily lives?

Earlier this year, the photographer Sharelly Emanuelson visited various sites on the TU Delft Campus, one of which was Flood Proof Holland: a living lab aimed at developing smart alternatives to the traditional sandbag, and where, for example, floods are also simulated for the purpose of testing and improving water defences. Sharelly’s visit was the start of a veritable cross-pollination between art and science. ‘When I started working at TU Delft, I could not have imaged ending up in the Rijksmuseum. Or have imagined that my work would be on view in the Rijksmuseum,’ water innovation expert Lindsey Schwidder says. ‘Yet, at the same time, it’s not that strange after all. The purpose of our living lab is to appeal to people, to show them concrete things. You can do that on your own Campus, but the Rijksmuseum is a much more exciting venue.’