French artist Kalie Granier presents her new exhibition A Sea Change, At Kelp’s Forest in San Francisco until June 10.
This multimedia exhibition curated by the re.riddle gallery, consists of an interactive installation of transformed kelp, paintings and the projection of the film 2 Feet. The film, which Kalie Granier made in collaboration with scientists, draws attention to the precariousness of kelp ecosystems due to climate change. It aims to contribute to global efforts to restore kelp forests through examination of their variable structures, geographies, and interactions with human behavior.
In her film, Kalie Granier raises ecological awareness through a poetic and artistic approach, paralleling the lives of women and the growth of kelp which grows up to 2 feet (65 cm) per day!!
Kalie tells us that she thought of this “installation through the prism of ecofeminism – a theoretical framework that revalues nonlinear systems, holistic connections and equitable processes over dominant, hierarchical structures present in society and the environment”.
It was while living in Santa Cruz near the beach, in contact with kelp every day, that she became aware of the vital importance of kelp. It is also by picking it up and transforming it into a piece of art that she draws attention to this fundamental algae. Indeed, kelp forests, the largest of all seaweeds, are compromised as one of the most dynamic ecosystems on earth, rivaling the reputation of terrestrial forest.
Kelp forests retain carbon and release oxygen into the atmosphere, making water and air “cleaner”. They provide habitats and sanctuaries for thousands of marine species, efficiently producing their own nutrients and energy using sunlight.
The exhibition examines how we we could imagine alternatives for a more sustainable future by prioritizing local cooperation and environmental management practices. This is why Kalie Granier has tried to work as much as possible with natural or recycled elements: for example, she created her own paints based on local natural pigments (spirulina, turmeric), she collected ribbons recovered from former haberdashery store of her mother-in-law…
A portion of the proceeds from the A Sea Change, At Kelp’s Forest exhibit will be donated to the Reef Check Foundation, a non-profit organization that empowers citizen scientists to promote the sustainable management of reef communities worldwide
Dates : from May 19 to June 10th, 2022
Address : 200 Brannan Street & Delancey, San Francisco
Closing event on June 10th at 4:30pm Free with registration
More information click here
