British Artist Stranded at Sea After Shipping Firm Collapses

When British artist Rebecca Moss set out to sea for a 23-day adventure last month, it was to to "explore the comedic potential of the clash between mechanical systems and nature," as the Guardian puts it. Little did she know just how real things were about to get. Earlier this month, the South Korean company that owns the ship she's on went bankrupt, and now Moss and the crew are stranded in the Pacific off the coast of Japan. Ports won't allow it and other Hanjin ships to dock because it's unclear who will pay. Moss' ship, the Geneva, was supposed to return to land on Thursday. Now it might be weeks or months before that happens.

"The situation is completely ironic," Moss tells the BBC. "It is bizarre how much it suits my interests." While she won't go so far as to say her patience is wearing thin, Moss admits she has found "the indefinite duration" hard. The 25-year-old was one of four artists selected to participate in a residency-at-sea program created by the Access Gallery in Vancouver. Described as an absurdist filmmaker, she is earning her MA at the Royal College of Art in London, though for now she says her days revolve around her meal schedule. Food should last a couple more weeks, at which point her creativity may truly be put to the test. (More shipping stories.)