Hydraulic barrier section - Turbine
Hydropower turbines present significant challenges to the migration of European eels (Anguilla anguilla), as they rely on unimpeded river systems to complete its complex life cycle. As these eels migrate downstream to the Sargasso Sea to spawn, they often encounter hydroelectric installations that can cause injury, disorientation, or death.
The European eel population has declined by over 90% since the 1970s, with hydropower-related mortality being a significant contributing factor. Balancing the benefits of renewable energy with the need to protect migratory species is crucial. Continued research and the implementation of effective mitigation strategies are essential to ensure the survival of the European eel.
F/EEL: security footage excerpt
In F/EEL, most of the sections are completely dark as eels does not have good eye sights (we turned on the lights just for photography documentations). Participants are alone in the escape room - one person enters at a time. They received minor instructions:
‘… your goal is to find the exit of this space; from this point on we cannot advise you anymore.‘
Eel migration barriers
‘The major barriers to eel migration in The Netherlands. The waterways are virtually closed to all fi sh migration by 4,671 pumping stations, 8,488 dams and 2,278 sluices‘
van den Thillart, G. E. (2014). European Eels: Dutch Fisheries, Culture and Eel Migration. In Eels and Humans (pp. 61-74). Springer, Tokyo.
Hydraulic barrier section - turbine
Security cam still - Turbine section
Hydraulic barrier section - dam and human ladders
Eel ladders are engineered structures designed to help juvenile European eels bypass barriers like dams, but their effectiveness is limited. Many eels fail to find or use them, especially if flow conditions are poor or the ladders are poorly maintained. They mostly assist small elvers, while larger eels migrating downstream face turbine injuries. Even when used, ladders can delay migration and impact survival. Studies show ladders alone aren’t enough and should be part of broader strategies, including fish-friendly turbines, timed shutdowns, and habitat restoration.
In F/EEL, we designed human ladders from an alien's perspective. The participants can ascend the ladder by 'walking' while their feet are in the metal pedals. But not every human understood how to use them.
Security cam still - Hydraulic barrier section - dam and human ladders
Hydraulic barrier section -dam
‘Mean concentration of PCB 180 (ng/g b.w.) in 11 countries (a) and mean concentration of Hg (ng/g b.w.) in 7 countries (b) in European eel muscle as reported recently‘
Geeraerts, C., & Belpaire, C. (2010). The effects of contaminants in European eel: a review. Ecotoxicology, 19(2), 239-266.
pollutant section
In this section, the participants navigate themselves in total darkness in a space filled with marine wastes. Industrial wind turbines powers up as they enter, and debris will fly around the space.
Security cam still (i) - Pollutant section
Security cam still (ii) - Pollutant section
It is estimated nearly 1/3 of the eels reaching Europe are smuggled to Asia (2020).
Seizures of European Eel glass eels in terms of weight (kg) during the four fishing seasons 2013–2017 combined (left), and the 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 fishing seasons combined (right). Data sources: CITES, TRAFFIC’s wildlife trade database and media reports.
Poaching section - nets
One of the doors lead to a trap, in which the participant cannot escape. This also happens a lot in the wild -- sometimes the animals are just in bad luck.
Security cam stills -Poaching section - nets
Poaching poses a major threat to the migration and survival of European eels (Anguilla anguilla), especially during their vulnerable life stages. The illegal capture of juvenile eels (elvers) for the lucrative black market—mainly for consumption and aquaculture in Asia—disrupts their upstream migration, depleting wild populations before they can mature. Smuggling networks operate across Europe, with seizures totaling millions of elvers annually. Adult eels migrating downstream to spawn are also targeted, further reducing reproductive success. Despite strict EU regulations and trade bans, enforcement remains inconsistent. Poaching, combined with habitat loss and pollution, continues to undermine the recovery of this critically endangered species.
Poster design by Karin Fischnaller
During November and December, over 120 participants attempted F/EEL. Success rate is less than 20%. In reality, the survival rate of European eels is much lower.
F/EEL
2020-2021
Sensory-based escape room; dimensions variable
- Co-produced with Yi-Fei Chen. Commissioned by the Embassy of the North Sea.
One evening in the North Sea, a baby eel was approaching the Dutch coastline. The trip had been long: from the Sargasso Sea it drifted 6,000 km on the Gulf Stream eastwards across the Atlantic Ocean. Moving upstream, it was eager to continue its life in the fresh waters, but little did it know the arduous obstacles ahead — a world not designed for eels [1]. And hence the journey began.
Intrigued by the strenuous yet perplexing lives of European eels, a critically endangered species that can live up to 80 years, artists Sheng-Wen Lo and Yi-Fei Chen created a space not designed for humans — a series of interactive contraptions that transpose these eels’ unfortunate encounters into human terms [2]. Our lives may be difficult, but what is it like to be an eel?
[1] Artificial hindrances for eels include hydraulic barriers such as dams and pumping stations, contaminated water bodies, invasive parasites and illegal poaching. Despite recent endeavours in fish passage constructions, survival for eels is not yet easy, but barely possible.
[2] Although one would never succeed in fully reconfiguring the eels’ subjective experiences into that of humans’, attempting with best effort, unlike not trying at all, opens up possibilities for us to imagine, question and discuss.
Special thanks to:
- Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten