Oemoemenoe: Hedwigepolder

In the spring of 2026, sculptor, researcher and dramaturg Carly Rose Bedford presented new work as part of Vleeshal’s Oemoemenoe site-specific series.

Building on Bedford’s ongoing research into swamps, this afternoon, explored the collapsing of ecology, industry, and local culture around the Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe, the largest remaining tidal marsh in Western Europe. Primarily known as a nature reserve, the ‘Verdronken Land’ holds layers of history, floodings, and social conflict at the interface of farming, environmentalism and heavy industry.

Bedford welcomed a group of visitors for an afternoon around the Verdronken Land and into the Hedwigepolder. The Hedwigepolder, located between the Verdronken Land and the gargantuan port of Antwerp, is a heavily contested area. In 2005, it was decided to return the polder to the sea to restore nature in the Westerschelde. It took 17 years of political conflict to carry this out.

The program ended at Café Het Verdronken Land with a ‘Heksenborrel’ – a liquor infused with local botanicals.

This project builds upon Bedford’s AIRZeeland Pilot residency in the winter of 2025. AIRZeeland is a residency program organized by Mostly Modern Festival, Theaterproductiehuis Zeeland and Vleeshal with the support of Provincie Zeeland.