Single-channel video, 3:56
Ulva lactuca thrives in the shallows, by the fish hatchery and cabbage fields, where fertilizers flow over into the sea. We share more than this winterly sunbath, as UVB radiation enables synthesis of vitamin D on my skin, while the algae uses sunlight for photosynthesis.
I feel good in the sun, and I imagine them as well. Ulva lactuca spreads its surface, taking up a maximum of space as I undress to catch a maximum of rays. During summer the heat and radiation becomes too much for us and we try to conceal and protect ourselves.
During low tide the algae cushions my steps on the sharp rocks. During high tide the waves cover us. In water, all visible boundaries blur and leak: the sun, the sea, the sand, Ulva lactuca and me.
We are porous bathers of the sun.
The work was realised during the Wetlands course in Psachna, Greece 12. – 16.1.2026 and exhibited to the local public on the last day. The course investigates the intersection of art, science, and ecology through interdisciplinary research and artistic practice. Focusing on aquatic ecosystems, participants will develop artistic projects and embodied sensory experiences. Fieldwork will take place in Psachna, Greece, with particular attention to the Kolovrechtis Wetland and the Chalcis Strait.
The course is coordinated by the Acoustic Ecologies and Media Environments departments at Bauhaus Universität Weimar, hosted by DCARTS of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, with participation of the Department of Art and Media at Aalto University.
Link to the video on request.
