An Apology to Kelp (2022-23)

An Apology to Kelp is a collaboration between Becs Epstein (MFA candidate, Performance Studies, SAIC) and Max Bogan (PhD student, Committee on Evolutionary Biology, UChicago). It is an interdisciplinary attempt to acknowledge and make amends for the harm that we, as humans, have caused to marine organisms. By attempting to grow the bull kelp Nereocystis luetkeana on various ceramic sculptures as growth substrates, and documenting the process in a book containing photos, illustrations, and written reflections, Becs and Max hope to blend the artistic message of apology with scientific purpose. The project’s ultimate goal is to investigate human and non-human relationships in the context of anthropogenic climate change. Human activity has negatively impacted non-human organisms in a multitude of ways, and An Apology to Kelp seeks to confront that harm directly from a scientific, artistic, and human perspective.