MARE MODUL – Ceramic Habitats for the Sea-bed
A group of artists gathered within the project MARE MODUL created habitats - large ceramic artistic objects presented this summer through the travelling exhibition in Zagreb (Technical Museum Nikola Tesla), Rijeka (Juraj Klović HDLURI Gallery) and Kraljevica (the Fran Krsto Frankopan Castle). On Saturday, November 17, 2018, the works have been permanently laid down on the sea bed in Kraljevica, in front of the Club for Subsea Activities Adria, at the depth of 10 to 15m. Hence, they formed small reefs and a surface on and into which various organisms will settle.
Author of concept and project leader: Lidia Boševski
Artists, participants and members of the Mare Modul group: Lidia Boševski, Danijela Pičuljan, Snješka Pokos Vujec, Marina Mijatović, Karla Rakuljić, Martina Franić, Nada Benc Štuka, Lauren Moreira, Maddalena Boero, Boris Roce
Expert collaborators on the project: Ass. Prof. Tatjana Bakran-Petricioli, PhD; Engineer of Biology and Ecology Donat Petricioli; B.A., Danijel Frka, professional marine photographer
Curator of the exhibition: Sandra Križić Roban
Spatial concept and exhibition setup: Zoran Boševski
Given the common source of inspiration – the submarine world - the individual expression of each member of the group brought about different solutions. The diversity of structures and textures, the variations of shapes and the choice of clay – all those factors contributed to the possibility of attracting greater biodiversity. The ceramic structures overgrown with organisms will incite the arrival and permanent inhabitation of other organisms, otherwise scarce in this area due to human activities. This project is part of the international scientific project MERCES: “Marine Ecosystem Restoration in Changing European Seas”. The project is carried out at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb and led by Ass. Prof. Tatjana Bakran-Petricioli, PhD, and Silvija Kipson, PhD. In the course of three years, the biology scientists will keep the record of the process of development of life in those newly formed habitats.
It is difficult to grasp the dimensions of the devastation of the world at which shimmering surface – the sea horizon – we often gaze striving to express something poetic. No waves and their perpetual rhythm will be able to aid the healing of the seemingly invisible wounds. (…) Thanks to the photographs and the collaboration between artists and scientists within the Mare Modul project, a group of authors raised the awareness on the many changes that happened to the Adriatic submarine world. Guided by the desire to make a positive change and find a discreet way to enter the submarine community, the artists created various ceramic habitats. The natural material – clay, exposed to high temperatures, will “cool” the sea. Not literally but symbolically: it will enable for numerous microorganisms to dwell in the tiny manmade structures, thus setting in motion the circle of life. A cycle that has been interrupted due to human neglect and lack of understanding will be renewed thanks to the system of sea modules and the change of the state of matter. Along with that, the movement of the artists’ hands suggest the idea of the physics of waves and the manner in which their dales influence the submarine world and its life.
(Sandra Križić Roban, from the preface to the exhibition catalogue).
Lidia Boševski
June 9th, Sunday, 17.30
