Commissioned piece and collaboration with Olderbrother and Emma Akmakdjian. Store Installation Spring-Summer 2021.

This installation highlights the importance of algae. These photosynthetic organisms on the air we breathe and their role in contributing to marine ecosystems’ biodiversity. From remediation, nutrition, and plastic alternative, to fuel, algae pose radical solutions for sustainability.

Inspired by our season process using algae extracts, we welcome you to come and experience our current installation, a driftwood fort portal to interact with these organisms.

Featuring Bio-artist Maru Garcia, and installation artist Emma Akmakdjian. Photo credits to Pat Martin.

Coiled Bull kelp (Nereocystis leutkeana) sculptures are on display inside the driftwood fort at Olderbrother. Woven by artist Emma Akmakdjian, the mixture of dehydrated and rehydrated cords are intertwined to assimilate a spiral of microscopic algae or a half helix of DNA. Emma has woven her web following the flow of clockwise air pressure systems, the ocean, and the environment while contemplating how it relates to the movement of the body when weaving. The bright yellow and green hue threads are dyed with an elder wood that symbolizes the coming together of terrestrial and aquatic forests.

A flat window-bioreactor containing spirulina (blue-green algae) designed by bioartist Maru Garcia is part of the installation. This wants to bring the public to explore the possibilities that this microorganism can provide as a food source in a GIY (grow it yourself) manner in our homes. Spirulina was made popular by NASA as a dietary supplement for astronauts on space missions because of its nutritional value. As we see algae growing, and bubbles appearing, we are invited to enter a meditative space, where we can reflect on our relationship with the marine ecosystems.

Between the tank of microscopic algae to the macroalgae sculptures, viewers are submerged in a world of algal scales that demonstrate the resilience, flexibility, nutrition, and pigments of algae in all scales.

Photography credits: Pat Martin

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