Critical Tide

The Critical Tide exhibition presents eight different projects and works that visitors can view, hear, test, or touch

Aquatocene – Subaquatic quest for serenity

Robertina Sebjanic, Aquatocene / Uros Abram

Aquatocene, by Slovenian artist Robertina Šebjanič investigates the phenomenon of underwater noise pollution created by humankind in the world’s seas and oceans. The sound compositions heard at the Critical Tide exhibition are a re-mix between the bioacoustics of marine life, the aquatic acoustics and the presence of human-generated noise in the world’s oceans and seas. Underwater noise effects a great number of marine life forms which depend on the sub-aquatic sonic environment to survive. The audio compositions of the subaquatic soundscape encourage us to reflect upon the anthropogenic sonic impact on the underwater habitat and marine life, as well as illuminate awareness and underscore the importance of maintaining safe sound environments for animals living in the world’s oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers.

Baltic Characters

The exhibition team has created an empathy exercise ‘Baltic Characters’. It examines how can we reconnect with the species that live beneath the waves, both intellectually and emotionally. The playful test explores ways in which we can nurture empathy and reconnect with the seas. The visitor can find out which species in the Baltic Sea resonates with them – and learn what you can do to safeguard its future. The test is illustrated by Gero Grundmann, a graphic artist, illustrator, and member of the exhibition team.

The species profiles of the Baltic Characters test have been made in cooperation with John Nurminen Foundation´s marine biologist.

Julia Lohmann´s seaweed sculpture Oki Naganode / Noortje Knulst, On Display Magazine 2016

Department of Seaweed – an open seaweed laboratory

Julia Lohmann, RCA Alumni and a curator of the Critical Tide exhibition team, has worked with seaweed and developed it as a sustainable material for making since 2007. The Critical Tide Exhibition includes a seaweed design laboratory in which Lohmann builds objects from seaweed and introduces the Department of Seaweed community of practice. It connects designers and makers, researchers and scientists interested in algae as a sustainable resource for making. Throughout the exhibition, Lohmann and her team will work in the open workshop in the gallery every Wednesday.

Department of Seaweed laboratory’s tabletop materials by Forbo flooring system 

MARS – Modular Artificial Reef Structure 

Modular Artificial Reef Structure, MARS was designed by Alex Goad in 2013 to assist with coral reef restoration. Its ceramic surface is designed to house transplanted corals. Transplanted corals can be divided as they grow and eventually be planted to restore reefs that have been degraded. The system has won multiple awards and is installed on Summer Island in the Maldives to assist with their coral nursery. 

Matter of Trust Hair Mats

According to the US Matter of Trust organization, around 4.9 million liters of oil spill into the sea in US territorial waters alone. Matter of Trust has developed mats and booms which can be used to clean up oil and grease from water bodies and water drainage systems. The mats are made of organic and renewable material – human and animal hair and fur, wool and feathers – which absorbs oil without further damaging the marine ecology.  

Ocean Confessional

Ocean Confessional is a booth where visitors can reveal the sins they have committed against the sea. They will write their confessions on slips of paper, which will be dropped into the sea at a public ceremony held on 26 October. The slips are made from a water-soluble paper, each containing a small amount of calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate in the form of limestone or crushed bivalve shells has been added to lakes to stop acidification.

”This paper itself is not the solution. The paper acts as a mediator for individuals to create a more personal connection with seemingly out-of-reach environmental issues. In doing so, people are encouraged to think and behave in ways that can create long-term systemic change.” Canadian designers, Design Academy Eindhoven graduates Pete Fung and Samein Shamsher describe the project.

Radical Ocean Futures installation

The Radical Ocean Futures project combines art with science and is led by Dr. Andrew Merrie of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, a research Institute of Stockholm University. The project presents four scientifically grounded narratives of potential futures for our global oceans. Combining scientific fact with creative speculation, the work prompts reflection and the application of imagination to the future oceans and how we might think more creatively and radically about the environmental challenges facing marine ecosystems. The work shown at the exhibition includes four brief scenarios presented through imagery and audio narration.

Sea Chair by Studio Swine

The plastics in the oceans take thousands of years to degrade, remaining in the environment to be broken up into ever-smaller fragments by ocean currents. The Sea Chair by Studio Swine (Super Wide Interdisciplinary New Explorers) is made entirely from plastic recovered from the seas. Together with local fishermen, the plastic is collected and made into a stool at sea. Studio Swine is an art collective established in 2011 by Alexander Groves (UK) and Azusa Murakami (JP).