Reflection on “The Department of Seaweed in Viana: Thinking, Making and Being with Algae,” a workshop led by Julia Lohmann in Viana do Castelo, Portugal. Part of the Pasto das Marés project, the workshop explored seaweed as a material for art and design through foraging, experimentation, and community engagement. Building on my ongoing work with algae in cyanotypes, natural dyes, and inks, the experience expanded my ecological art practice and deepened my exploration of impermanence, ecological grief, and more-than-human relationships within coastal environments.
I was recently asked which artists have influenced my work, and a few surfaced immediately—not because of shared materials or styles, but because their work has stayed with me over time. Thinking about Abakanowicz, Hamilton, Bourgeois, Mendieta, and Messager led me to questions of visibility, authorship, and care. As images increasingly circulate through bots and AI systems, this post reflects on how to honor lineage while resisting capture.