New director Kathleen Soriano, former artistic director of the RA, kicks off her reign at the seaside gallery with an enticing double bill.

In the (downstairs) Foreshore Gallery The Sun Feeds the Wind is a partnership and exhibition collecting and displaying the living histories of the under-threat fishing community of Hastings. Curated by artist Mary Hooper and the Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society, it features an oral history archive and a sound installation that aims to preserve the unique knowledge, skills, and practices of the local fishing fleet for future generations. It’s a far cry from the 2012 opening of the gallery, then known as the Jerwood, amid vociferous protests from the local community.

The rest of the gallery space will be dedicated to the third in a seaside-related trilogy of exhibitions curated by James Russell. Following Seaside Modern (2021) and Seafaring (2022), Undersea brings together paintings, prints, drawings and objects from across different cultures and artistic movements, examining myths and mysteries lurking beneath the waves.

Featured artists include Damien Hirst, Klodin Erb, Kelechi Nwaneri, Michael Armitage and Paul Delvaux.