The Kelp Congress at LIAF 2019 focuses on the lesser explored artistic and cultural dimensions related to kelp and other macroalgae. The event emerges with a curiosity in the current discourse surrounding seaweed within the industries of energy, food, nutrition, agriculture, cosmetics, and medicine, and will settle instead on a consideration of the performative, narrative, conceptual, and material approaches towards kelp. Throughout The Kelp Congress, seaweed will be promoted as a protagonist and collaborator within artistic and curatorial ways of making, and as a partner for cultural response within current and future ecological and environmental discussions.
FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH
Exploring resilience and community from human and other-than-human perspectives.
This initiates “The Kelp Congress”, a 3-day public programme that seeks to explore the artistic and cultural dimensions related to kelp and other macroalgae. Events include: open studios, presentations of artistic research processes, a keynote lecture, talks, and kelp-related artistic performances. With Devil’s Apron, Sarah Blissett, Futurefarmers, Signe Johannessen, Julia Lohmann, Sabine Popp, and Astrida Neimanis.
Download the programme PDF:
Kelp Congress Timetable Kelp Congress mapPUBLIC PROGRAMME
The Public Programme of the Kelp Congress takes place between September 20 – 22 in Svolvær. During this weekend insights, processes and discoveries from the Coast, Line, Kelp Curing and Kelp Diagramme Collective closed workshops that lead up to the weekend will be shared. These sharings will take place in Svolvær, Lofoten as part of a wider programme consisting of keynote lectures, discussions, art works, and performances.
Friday 20 September
*extended opening hours of the LIAF 2019 exhibition (12:00–22:00)
12:00–14:00
The Kelp Medal of Honour
Children’s Workshop by Signe Johannessen
Svolvær Town Square (wet weather location: Sentrumsgården)
14:00–17:00
The Kelp Medal of Honour
Public Maker Lab by Signe Johannessen
Svolvær Town Square (wet weather location: Sentrumsgården)
16:00–18:00
Registration for the Kelp Congress
The Former Lofotposten Building
18:00–18:15
Introduction to the Kelp Congress by LIAF curators
Thon Hotel Conference Suite (10th floor)
18:15–19:00
Planetary Speculation: Cultivating Curiosity, Concern and Care, Collaboratively
Keynote by Prof. Cecilia Åsberg
Thon Hotel Conference Suite (10th floor)
19:00–22:00
Kelp Kitchen
Seaweed inspired food served and the bar opens
The Former Lofotposten Building
19:30–20:00
Intertidal Shelter Part II
Artistic Intervention by Devil’s Apron (Kåre Grundvåg & Trond Ansten). This includes a kelp SPA!
The Intertidal Zone beside The Former Lofotposten Building
Saturday 21 September
*extended opening hours of the LIAF 2019 exhibition (12:00–22:00)
10:00–11:15
So Tired, The Sea…
Recorded Keynote by Prof. Astrida Neimanis. Moderated Q&A by Dr. Marietta Radomska
Svolvær Film Theatre
11:30–12:00
Common Notions (Confusion resumes outside a few squaremeters)
Performance Lecture by Sabine Popp
Svolvær Film Theatre
12:00–13:00
LUNCH
Svolvær Film Theatre
13:00–13:45
Kelp Medal of Honour Ceremony by Signe Johannessen
Svolvær Town Square
14:00–15:15
Kelp Connections
Panel Discussion
Svolvær Film Theatre
15:30–17:00
Artistic Research Sharing Kelp Curing & Kelp Diagram Collective
Starting point Svolvær Film Theatre for Kelp Curing
The Old Second-Hand Shop for Kelp Diagram Collective
17:00–19:00
DINNER
Food served and the bar opens
The Former Lofotposten Building
19:00–20:00
Artistic Research Sharing Coast, Line
The Former Lofotposten Building
20:00–22:00
Kelp Gathering
A gathering in The Former Lofotposten Building
(Warm weather alternative: Svinøya )
Sunday 22 September
10:00-10:30
Sea Ceremony
Performance ritual by Julia Lohmann
The Former Lofotposten Building
10:30-12:00
Kelp Network Discussions
The Former Lofotposten Building
ARTWORKS
The Kelp Medal of Honour by Signe Johannesen centred on the story of how the artist’s relatives were saved from battle by hiding underneath kelp in the intertidal zone during WWII.
Common Notions (confusion resumes outside a few squaremeters), by Sabine Popp, conceived as an experiment or game, exploring an examination of the performativity of algae, objects, and bodies in instances of observation.
Intertidal Shelter I+II by Devil’s Apron – Kåre Grundvåg and Trond Ansten (NO) – is a sculpture intervention that explores how we can facilitate an intimate meeting between life within shallow water and us humans.
Sea ceremony – a performance by designer Julia Lohmann, inspired by the Japanese ‘tea ceremony’ tradition. A time for collective sharing and reflection on algae – organism, habitat regenerator, superfood and sustainable material – a ritualistic closing event with seaweed.
WORKSHOPS (FULL)
Coast, Line navigated by Futurefarmers (Amy Franceschini & Lode Vranken) + guests, with Janice McEwen, Janna Holmstedt, Sergey Kostyrko, Alexander Kozachek, Julia Lohmann, Julia Parks, Alexander Rishaug, and Danni Zuvela.
Kelp Diagram Collective navigated by Sabine Popp, with Anne Louise Blicher, Robin Everett, Heidi Hart, Marcellvs L. and Francisco Beltrame Trento.
Kelp Curing navigated by Sarah Blissett, with Aoife Casby, Tinna Guðmundsdóttir, Tiina Arjukka Hirvonen, Paola Ruiz Moltó, Marietta Radomska, and Cecilia Åsberg.
LIAF 2019, together with Annette Wolfsberger, initiated the Kelp Congress with input from several artist-run organisations and research centres based in the Nordic countries and Northwest Russia – ArtLab Gnesta, Fridaymilk, Laboratory for Aesthetics and Ecology, Mustarinda, Posthumanities Hub, Skaftfell – Center for Visual Art, and The Department of Seaweed.