Migrations is an ongoing project that follows marine species’ forced displacement caused by rising water temperature, while exploring ecological resilience through nurturing interspecies entanglement.
The first body of works stems from a project with researchers from the Iceland University, who were gathering data on the Atlantic cod from their otoliths - ear stones that create rings while growing, from which information can be extracted, such as ambient water temperature, growth history, and food availability. They were hoping to find out whether the rising water temperature was impacting cod's growth.
.
The Story of Cod - video piece - selected to feature in the climate film festival Points of Returns
Otolith Stories - Series of drawings - Graphite on burnt Shoji paper
Further research followed based on the lost Sussex kelp forest and the site’s biodiversity monitoring by the University of Sussex. Algae are also subject to climate change pressures, and research around the UK shows certain species of kelp are starting to migrate to cooler waters too. Algae like kelp, in which young cod seek shelter and in which the elders forage for food, contribute to cod’s ecosystem health. Kelp also sequesters carbon and locks it into the ocean, which helps mitigate climate change. In return, sea urchin numbers are kept in check by cod in the North Atlantic, preventing them from devouring all kelp forests. A harmonious relationship between kelp and cod. Just one of many intertwined, entangled kinships between species - holding each other.
I Hold You - installation
I Hold You - installation detail - Kelp piece
North Atlantic Story - series of watercolours entertwined with algae
We have a place in this story. Just as we have started unraveling the equilibrium of life, we can weave it back together, collaborating with other species in the process. Candles of Hope is an invitation to take part in an embrace with ocean ecosystems. Composed of wax and algae, these candles are made to be lit as a gesture of hope and a way to acknowledge cod's existence and their struggle - but also as a pledge to nurture interspecies entanglement, through ecological restorative narratives.
