A Journey in Seaweed

2016 to · Devil’s Apron with Trond Ansten · premiere: Young Arctic Artist, Galleri Napa, Rovaniemi

Interdisciplinary project by Devil’s Apron (Grundvåg and Trond Ansten) searching for lost knowledge of brewing with seaweed, sparked by a historical rumour that Inuit on Kamchatka made an alcoholic drink from red algae. The first year documentary A Journey in Seaweed, Punk and Brewing Culture of the North premiered at Galleri Napa during Young Arctic Artist 2016, where the duo also presented an early seaweed brew.

Process work moved between coastal harvest, drying racks, and improvised brewing gear, settling on Norwegian kveik yeast and the older craft of the kveikstokk (yeast log). The film later travelled with exhibitions and screenings, including Kunsthalle Wien’s Get Wet programme at the Vienna Biennale for Change 2021.

Photograph 01: Kunsthalle Wien film still. Photographs 02 to 04: process frames from Devil’s Apron documentation. Public install shots from Galleri Napa remain limited.

Film still from A Journey in Seaweed, Punk and Brewing Culture of the North, 2016. Courtesy Kunsthalle Wien

Hanging harvested seaweed on a wooden drying lattice

Copper coil and wooden paddle in a brewing vessel

Coastal seaweed harvest with barrel and knife