Thinking, Making and Being with Algae in Viana do Castelo

This post is almost ten months late, but I wanted to document an important workshop I was accepted to late last spring: “The Department of Seaweed in Viana: Thinking, Making and Being with Algae,” led by Julia Lohmann.

The workshop introduced algae as a material for art and design, and we experimented with new ways of making using a variety of foraged seaweeds. Prior to this workshop, I had already spent several years learning about and working with algae in Portugal—using it as subject matter in cyanotypes and experimenting with it to make dyes and inks—but I wanted to expand my practice further. This workshop helped push my work in new directions. Apart from the knowledge shared by Julia, we the participants also shared our prior knowledge through several stations of making. I have Julia to thank as well as the other artists and designers who participated!

The workshop was part of a series within the project “Pasto das Marés,” developed by A Recoletora in collaboration with the Environmental Monitoring and Interpretation Centre (CMIA) and the Sea Centre of the Municipality of Viana do Castelo. The project unfolded over two years of research followed by a six-month public program of educational activities.

Beginning with the algal flora of the intertidal zone around Viana do Castelo, the project critically reflected on the ecological and cultural dynamics surrounding seaweeds in the region. Working alongside the local community, it explored alternative modes of food and production while developing empathetic strategies for connecting with these species and the coastal landscape we co-inhabit. This sounds akin to my practice and philosophy, does it not? Imagine my delight when I heard about it!

Experiencing the workshop felt like stepping into a living conversation with the more-than-human world—one that echoed my ongoing exploration of ecological grief, impermanence, and the quiet transformations through which life continually returns to itself.

Later this summer, I will have another opportunity to share my work with the public in Porto. I am thinking of ways I can make some of the work participatory, so I can share my fascination with algae through the hands of the public.

Here are some photos taken during the three-day workshop last spring: