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.