3D computer animation by Franz Schubert

HD, colour, sound, 10:34 min, looped

Location: Ioakimion Girls High School

15.11.2024 – 30.11.2024

An overlooked disaster: Following a collision with a cargo ship in the East China Sea on January 6, 2018, the tanker Sanchi, loaded with 136,000 tons of condensate oil, caught fire and sank nine days later. All the crew members died.

There is hardly any information available about the worst tanker accident in the past 35 years. The collision caused a massive fire on the Sanchi, which burned for over a week before the ship eventually exploded and sank on January 14, 2018.

The environmental impact was significant, as the tanker’s cargo, along with its fuel, leaked into the sea, creating a large oil slick. This spill raised concerns about ecological damage, particularly to marine life in the region. The Sanchi accident is one of the worst oil-related maritime disasters in recent history, both in terms of human casualties and environmental impact.

Very little image or video material about the accident and intensive many-day rescue attempt has been published. The computer animation is based exclusively on materials from official resources.

The Sanchi tanker accident has been the subject of various rumours and speculation, largely due to the mysterious circumstances and the scale of the disaster. Some rumours centre around the nature of the cargo, with suggestions that the Sanchi may have been carrying more than just condensate—a highly flammable ultra-light crude oil. Speculation arose that it could have included hazardous chemicals or even military-related materials, though no credible evidence has ever supported these claims.

The fate of the crew also became a focus of rumors. 30 Iranians and 2 Bangladeshis were presumed dead. With only three bodies recovered out of 32, there were theories about potential survivors or hidden political motivations. However, no solid evidence has emerged to support these theories.

Concerns were also raised about the delayed response from Chinese authorities and the lack of transparency regarding the rescue efforts and environmental impact. This fuelled speculation that both China and Iran may have downplayed the severity of the disaster, particularly in terms of the environmental damage caused by the oil spill.

Franz Schubert lives in Vienna and Lower Austria. The artist works with digital media and 3D computer animation. His artistic practice reflects the visual frameworks of media environments and the ambiguities inherent in everyday perceptions and media structures.