Seaweed Dialogues

Alberte Holmø Bojesen

https://vimeo.com/827352626?share=copy

The objective of Seaweed Dialogues is to initiate a sensorial dialogue between human and seaweed,
posing the question of what seaweed is and can be. Through extensive material-driven explorations
of Icelandic seaweed, the goal is to push the boundaries and properties of locally foraged Icelandic
kelp such as Laminaria Hyperborea and Digitata. Exploring how these specific kelps can be turned
into translucent, flexible parchment-like material. A research initiated by experimenting with the
addition of naturally derived binders such as gelatine and Agar Agar, however, ending at employing
the naturally occurring polymers within the seaweed itself to adjust the specific qualities of the
material. The research also aims to push the material into the three-dimensional dimension and
apply the material its' own agency, through its textural and haptic properties. These haptic surfaces and shapes are generated through collaborating with Rhino and Grashopper, to create sensorial tactility that attract interaction. Aiming to generate sensorial interaction between human and seaweed, that informs alternative purposes and material prospects of brown kelp, putting the focus on its material value and possibilities. As well as emphasising the vitality of interdisciplinary collaboration between the ecosystem, science, technology and design.
Why Kelp?
Kelp is a type of algae, which is an important actor in our ecosystem "about 50 percent of the photosynthesis on Earth occurs in seaweeds and microscopic algae floating in the oceans”(Doumeizel & Giercksky, 2020). If algae is consciously utilised, it could be a collaborator toward a more mindful and sustainable future. I resided 9 months in Iceland, taking Fabricademym a course that focuses in the intersection of biology, technology in textile design. Iceland displays a very desolate landscape, with almost no forests, however, if the Icelandic coastlines are examined the area is filled with forests, the Kelp forests. This offers an abundant source of material that is washed up on the shore and left to decompose. Thus the idea is to utilise this “waste” to reconnect people with seaweed and its current and future uses. Seaweed Dialogues was displayed at Design March 2023 and a running up for the Distributed Design Award’s Responsible Design Price, where it created much dialogue and speculations of seaweeds role in our future materials and design.

Using seaweed as a material is an attempt to work with a material that is regenerative through its growth, life and afterlife. The seaweed is a vital part of many marine ecosystems providing shelter and food, as well as producing around 50% of our planets oxygen. Using seaweed in its afterlife also opens up the possibilities to regenerate current unconscious processes in different sectors, such as chemicals, fuels, fodders, nutrition, and materials. The aim of this project is to educate and inform the broader public of the possibilities of kelp material and its role in a more sustainable future, through sensorial and haptic interactions with kelp objects and textures. Algae’s vital role in our ecosystem, proposes that this project is tightly entangled in both planet and people by the prospects of using material that is regenerative and during its life cycle produces oxygen, and at its end of life can provide nutrition. Also by implementing more uses of kelp requires a larger body working with kelp, according to the EU issued Seaweed Manifest, “if 0.1 percent of the ocean could be dedicated to producing seaweed as a food source, materials, and chemicals. This would provide 15 times more seaweed than current production” (V. Doumeizel. and E. Giercksky, 2020.) thus underlining this project’s entanglement to profit for sustainability.

The processes to make the material also directly adresses design for planet, as it aims to only use the locally foraged kelp and add as little other material as possible. By understanding the chemical composition of the local kelp through the expertise of local biologist Gunnar Ólafsson, the double replacement reaction used for making sodium alginate gell could be employed by using the naturally occurring sodium alginate in the kelp. Refined sodium alginate could also be added, however this is a chemically costly process, hence the prospect of using the chemical within the material are quite exciting. Utilising the natural alginate results in a much stronger material that remind of either leather or paper. The difference is that this material is created from kelp that has been washed up on the beach, using the waste of the sea that is left to decompose on the beach.

Iceland

2022-2023

#bio-material, #Ecocentric #digital-collaboration

https://class.textile-academy.org/2023/alberte-bojesen/SEAWEED%20DIALOGUES/01%20%7C%20SEAWEED%20DIALOGUES/

https://www.instagram.com/albertebojesen/

Iceland displays a very desolate landscape, with almost no forests, however, if the Icelandic
coastlines are examined the area is filled with forests. In 2021 a collective from the Icelandic Art
University published the book The RainForests of the North: Revisiting the Shore: Seaweed Habitats. In this research, the vast amount of kelp and seaweed vegetation is mapped. This abundance of marine vegetation is used but fairly unknown by the broader public. Traditionally seaweed in Iceland was used for fertilisation, animal fodder, and in desperate times for consumption as it is rich on vitamins and minerals. However, it has never taken root in culinary traditions such as in Asian cuisine (Gudmundur et al, 2021). An interesting aspect is Iceland's historical use of seaweed as firewood and then using the ash as a substitute for salt. Søl (Dulce seaweed) was used for medicine and consumption, and today it has become a popular delicacy (Ólafsson, 1998). It is estimated to exist around 1500 species of brown algae, of which 75 are found in Iceland. This population is vital to the ecosystems of the Icelandic coast. The most common kelp types are Tangle; Laminaria Hyperoborea, Sugar Kelp; L. Saccharina, Oarweed; L. Digitata, and Bladderlock; Alaria Esculenta (Ólafsson, 1998). Today there is a surge in companies working with kelp and seaweed in Iceland, Thorverk, one of the few nordic wild kelp harvesting facilities has been active in Breiðafjörður for three decades and exports kelp powder for fertilisation and alginate production all over the world. And the industry is growing putting the need and discussion on how to quota the harvest in order to sustain the kelp forest and to increase it. Thus it seams that there are forces that moves toward implementing the use of seaweed in the future culture and industry, especially with increased education and information to the people.

Algae is an important actor in our ecosystem "about 50 percent of the photosynthesis on Earth occurs
in seaweeds and microscopic algae floating in the oceans”(Doumeizel & Giercksky, 2020). If algae is
consciously utilised, it could be a collaborator toward a more mindful and sustainable future. A
future that is vital to work towards, as according to the UN Statistics Division ”the energy-related
CO2 emissions increased 6% 2021, reaching the highest levels ever.” Seaweed produces
photosynthesis and is thus an efficient carbon sequester, i.e. it captures carbon dioxide. A feature not
only essential to the reduction of greenhouse gasses, but also the de-acidification of our oceans.
"Increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are causing ocean acidification ... Seaweeds
naturally sequester carbon and could help to mitigate the effects of ocean acidification”(Doumeizel &
Giercksky, 2020) Algae offers many renewable alternatives to current unconscious processes in
different sectors, such as chemicals, fuels, fodders, nutrition, and materials. "The EU’s total material
footprint is above the global average and much above those of low- and middle-income countries”
(European Environment Agency, 2022). Algae provides an exciting alternative resource as it is one of the fastest-growing plants on earth, growing up to 60 cm a day. It is a fairly unexplored resource and collaborator "0.1 percent of the ocean could be dedicated to producing seaweed as a food source, materials, and chemicals. This would provide 15 times more seaweed than current production" (V. Doumeizel. and E. Giercksky, 2020.) The kelp's ecosystem is tightly entangled in our own, but we do not acknowledge it to a great extent. This project maps some of these entanglements and focuses on giving a comprehension of how we as designers can consciously and carefully employ kelp as a collaborator in designing alternative materials. The kelp forests is a vital actor for the marine ecosystem as it gives shelter and nutrition to thousands of marine organisms. Without that the biodiversity of the seas would dwindle. Therefore is it vital that more focus and information is communicated to the public about kelp and how humans can use it consciously and regeneratively, putting more efforts in replenishing the kelp forests to be able to use it as material, nutrition, fodder but also for the marine biodiversity, as well as carbon sequestering in the fight against climate change and the acidification of our wasters.

This project is about collaborating with seaweed to create a dialogue around seaweed and a greater understanding of our role in a ecocentric world view. However in this project other stakeholders have been important actors such as biologist Gunnar Olafsson and Maria Maak who provided insightful knowledge about the chemical compositions of Kelp and around the harvesting cycles present in Iceland today. Another collaborator was also present in this project, namely the CAD programs Rhino and Grasshopper, that made it possible to generate the surfaces and shapes that was created of the seaweed material. Thus this project calls attention to the importance of cross-disciplinary collaborations and intersections between digital tools, textile designers, material scientists, biologists and kelp.