SEA TREASURES, 2021. Byssus, silk, seaweed and natural dyes.

@GIBCA - Gathenhielmska huset, Gothenburg

Collaboration with Hanna Norrna


The exhibition shows the process of material investigations in byssus threads of blue mussel from the west coast and algae from the coast of Zealand. The starting point of the collaboration is the artists' interest in the mythical Sardinian tradition of spinning sea silk from byssus of the Mediterranean mussel pinna nobilis.

The exhibition addresses the historical context of Sardinian sea silk in relation to the Gathenhielm piracy, and to the current existence of mussel banks, where benthic animals can seek refuge and food - and where algae can take root. Through the symbiotic life of the algae and blue mussels, moving by the use of threads, we spin a story of our shared past and future.

Photo credits: Carina Petersson, Hanna Norrna