Now Open, Until April 2025
Staging Seaweed Symbiosis in Void Art Centre’s Source Room, an exhibition showcasing architectural visions and creative works inspired by seaweed’s untapped potential in climate resilience and community rejuvenation.
This digital exhibition explores the vast, untapped potential of seaweed as a solution to climate and ecological crises. Created by staff and students from Queen’s University Belfast, it showcases architectural visions set on Rathlin Island, highlighting innovative ways seaweed can support food systems, biodiversity, sustainable livelihoods, and ocean health. Featuring speculative designs and artistic works that capture seaweed’s natural beauty, this exhibition invites us to reimagine seaweed as a transformative resource for sustainable coastal communities.
In collaboration with architecture staff and students from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), a series of architectural visions for a future that relies more heavily on seaweed have been developed, set within the unique landscape of Rathlin Island. The content was produced in Spring 2024 as part of an architectural design studio titled Staging Symbiosis: Seaweed Plus, led by Dr. Nuala Flood and Dr. Sean Cullen. This exhibition unveils these speculative designs and explores how architecture, the built environment, and onshore infrastructure can support the growth of multiple seaweed based industries. From food innovation to art and craft, these design interventions illustrate how seaweed could help rejuvenate Ireland’s declining coastal communities. Highlights include the Seaweed Test Kitchen by Oileán Galligan, a hub for seaweed inspired food innovation; the Seaweed Processing Facility by Jake Newman, envisioning a marine algae processing plant at Rathlin’s port; and the Seaweed Crafting Centre by Imogen Erskine, where local art and craft integrate seaweed as a primary material.
To communicate seaweed’s natural beauty, this exhibition also features seaweed encapsulated in resin blocks created by Natalia Mokras, and photographic explorations of seaweed by Dr. Nuala Flood.
