Thinking, Making and Being with Algae in Viana do Castelo
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.
From Sand to Sea: Learning the Language of Algae
Over the past three months, I’ve deepened my connection to the sea through foraging algae—a practice that began years ago with photographing its forms along the coast. Coming from the desert, the ocean once felt mysterious and immense. Now, through touch, tide, and time, I’m learning its rhythms. Foraging has become both study and devotion—a way of seeing shaped by salt, moonlight, and the quiet dialogue between land and water.