Last week, something unexpected appeared on Mata Hari Square in Leeuwarden—a large white structure seemingly out of nowhere. Under the cover of night, PAX Construction and Industrial Services delivered the boat, made entirely of paper-mâché, right into the heart of the city. But what’s it doing there?

The installation is part of Leeuwarden’s Cultural Capital of Europe 2018 programme. It responds to the question: What now…?

What’s next for Friesland after a year full of cultural events? The idea is simple: people are encouraged to write Wat nu? (“What now?”) as many times as possible on the boat’s plastic surface. A tiny microphone attached to the marker captures the sound of the writing. All that scribbling and scratching is then woven together into a soundscape.

The 20-meter-long ship had a public moment back in 2011, too. Back then, it was lifted—under much public attention—over the walls of the Blokhuispoort and launched into the water near the Prinsentuin.