La Mer Morte

The Belgian coastline is a long strip of wide sandy beach, backed by a long strip of concrete construction. In summer it’s packed full of people. But in winter it takes on a desolate beauty of its own. Surreal end-of-days emptiness peppered with half-built shacks, abandonned machinery and people walking their dogs under freezing rain. Sky, sand and concrete blend into one, in the muted pastel tones of a forgotten raincoat.  This coastline was home to Marvin Gaye for 18 months. It inspired him to write Sexual Healing. In Belgium, even ugly can be beautiful.