INTERTIDAL SHELTER I
By the artist duo Devils Apron (Trond Ansten & Kåre Aleksander Grundvåg)
at Lofoten International Art Festival (LIAF), 2019
An architectural intervention in the littoral zone aims to ask the question:
CAN WE FACILITATE AN INTIMATE MEETING BETWEEN LIFE ON SHALLOW WATER AND US HUMANS?
Our sculptural garden was commissioned for The Kelp Congress by LIAF2019
Inspired by the collaborative effort of yeast and brewers in the development of yeast logs that where wooden structures for conserving yeast between brewing sessions, Devil’s Apron presented a speculative attempt to create a sculptural home for the inhabitants of the tidal belt. This technology was developed long before the scientific knowledge of microorganisms and the artists speculate that the architectural principal may give raise to a new form of “housegardening“. At low tide in the end of August, a sculptural garden rose through a performative act in the intertidal zone of Svolvær outside the former Lofotposten building.
The artist duo, who work with seaweed as a raw material for brewing, have observed how macroalgae are gaining attention as a source of food and fuel in emerging industries.
They wanted to take a step back and get to know the algae.
LIAF 2019 drew inspiration from the multitude of inhabitants, materials, hardships and processes found in the extra-wide tidal zone that surrounds the Lofoten Islands.
Our project was supported with wood from the forest of Ove Aigner Haukenes on Mjelde
Photo by: Kari Finstad / Michael Miller / Trond Ansten / Kjell Ove Storvik