Art and Tidal Flats is a project by artists and researchers to explore the relationship between nature and art on tidal flats. We started our research in 2020 mainly on the tidal flats of Tokyo Bay. Tidal flats, vast salt marshes exposed at low tide, provide large amounts of oxygen to the seawater through their repeated tidal ebb and flow, activating bacteria and promoting the decomposition of organic matter. In recent years, some natural tidal flats have been restored and preserved, but many have been lost due to land reclamation and seawall construction. Taking Tokyo Bay as an example, the natural tidal flats existing today are only about 10% of the original according to a report by the research institute.

Even on the few remaining natural tidal flats, various construction projects have been planned and canceled since modernization. So far, however, the topography and environment appear to have been maintained. We, too, hope to prevent further loss of tidal flats, and our project is not for development. However, we would like to think about tidal flats from a standpoint that is neither of these, rather than just watching the outcome of tidalflats. We will conceive through encounters and observations of the organisms, vegetation, materials, and landforms in tidal flats and consider the relationships and possibilities of art in this particular environment.