Corpus Maris II was commissioned by Chappe Art House, Tammisaari / Ekenäs, Finland, for the museum‘s inaugural exhibition Climate & Art – Alternative Approaches

“We don’t have strict lines between what is art and what is design,” ... “The differences are no longer that important anyway. Little by little in Finland, artists are co-operating with researchers, scientists and other professionals. So we have this cross-discipline approach going on here.” Pia Hovi, Curator, Chappe Art House

‘The macroalgae sculptures, which look something like alien, leathery green molluscs, were designed by Julia Lohmann, a professor of design at Finland’s Aalto University and founder of the Department of Seaweed. This is a transdisciplinary group of artists, designers, scientists and conservationists researching biodegradable replacements for synthetic materials made from seaweed.’

Text: Both excerpts from ‘A new museum in Finland marries green design and gilt-framed paintings – Chappe is showing macroalgae sculptures next to its seascapes’ by Helen Barrett, Financial Times, 29/09/2023