Rust in peace ... One of the Kent Sea Forts,
being lived on by artist Stephen Turner.
Photograph: Simon Steven
It's not every art project that involves spending six weeks at sea aboard a series of rusting hulks, living in total isolation. But not every art project is quite like Seafort, a work currently being undertaken by artist Stephen Turner.
The Sea Forts were constructed in 1942, six miles off the Kent coast, as observation and anti-aircraft platforms, designed to disrupt Luftwaffe bombing raids. Since decommissioning in the 1950s, they've been sitting there, quietly rusting away and gently being nibbled by the fish: gaunt, ethereal and strangely otherworldly reminders of an age that feels more distant than perhaps it should.
Turner, never a man to shy away from maritime installations, has volunteered to spend six weeks on the Sea Forts - the same span as a second world war stint out there - and use the experience to explore concepts of isolation. This being the 21st century, however, there's a webcam installed (power permitting) and he's also keeping a blog recording his experiences - everything from photos of an eerie moon rising behind the forts to his discovery that RAF officers spent their time knitting and making embroidery, bless them.
All of which sounds jolly interesting, if you ask us, even more so when you see the gallery of pictures we've just built. Admire - and be grateful you don't have to spend six weeks being circled by sea bass in order to see things like this.
