< Zero Metre Above Sea Level 20000 >

Join us for the opening presentation by the artist: 26th June (6-7pm)

Scotland is now experiencing relative ‘Sea-level Rise’. All future projections expect the rate of this rise to speed up due to climate change /rising ocean temperatures.^[1]

The global mean sea level rose by 3.6mm per year from 2006–2015.^[2]

Estimated global mean ‘Sea-level Rise’ in the next 100 years is around half a metre.^[3]

There are local variations in sea level rise which have important effects on the UK.


1. (NatureScot: Scotland's Nature Agency, 2024, Present and future sea levels)
2. (Climate GOV, 2023, Rebecca Lindsey, Climate Change: Global Sea Level)
3. (POSTNOTE 363, September 2010, Sea Level Rise)


This art installation represents the sea level in the Summerhall Edinburgh area around 20,000 years in the future. The area of Summerhall currently sits at approximately 80m above sea level. Assuming that current ‘Sea-level Rise’ continues, this will be the sea level within 20,000 years.

20,000 years may seem like a far-off, distant future to us. But for the future of the Earth, it is not.

The work < Zero Metre Above Sea Level 20000 > exists to provide an environmental story and to visualise, with single purpose, ‘Zero Metre Above Sea Level’.

The Artist

Ryo Yamada is an Environmental Artist and Professor of Edinburgh Napier University School of Arts and Creative Industries.

The project is funded by Edinburgh Napier University School of Arts and Creative industries.

Previous works include:

• < 107㎥ Pavilion > (2019)
• < Infinite Landscape / 水・光 > (2022)
• < Zero Metre Above Sea Level/Ishikari Low Land > (2016)