Algal Bloom

Art festival and exhibition by the duo Devil’s Apron (Kåre Aleksander Grundvåg and Trond Ansten) with Træna Museum and Træna Art Association during Trænafestivalen, 2017.

The project mixed traditional coastal knowledge, brewing experiments, and recent science around seaweed and marine resources. At the core was a seaweed brew seasoned with northern spices, shown alongside sculptures and processes visitors could enter, among them the outdoor Lutgenerator / Tanglut generator, which dripped rainwater through seaweed ash to make a weak kelp lye for the brewing process, and Giant Colony Morphology, yeast cultures and enzyme producing molds indoors.

The programme included Marita Isobel Solberg’s Algemi performance, slam poet Ingvild Austgulen’s Tang & Tara, continuous screenings of the film Devil’s Apron, A Journey in Seaweed, Punk, and Brewing Culture in the North, a market of brewing trials, and a Pride Parade through the algal world.

Earlier the same year, Devil’s Apron also staged an Algal Jam performance inside Joar Nango’s European Everything at documenta 14, Kassel.

Supported by Sparebankstiftelsen Nord Norge and Nordnorsk Kunstnersenter. Photography: Kristian Rødvand (Ranablad toast); artist documentation (kelp rack); Ansten / Devil’s Apron (duo portrait and poster).