The extinction of the Baltic Sea as a result of an increase in the earth’s average temperature is an undeniable fact. This may be due to the gradual degradation of the water’s structure caused by excessive absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, to overfishing, or to an energy imbalance in the ecosystem. When staying in a seaside resort, it is no longer appropriate to simply relax on the beach and ignore the progressive destruction of the environment. Every “post-tourist” should be aware that man has been violating ecological boundaries for a long time and that it is necessary to spread this awareness, also among art lovers.
These issues became the starting point for creative explorations by Joanna Łałowska during her artistic residency at the Centre for Creative Activities in Ustka, where she developed a concept for a presentation entitled “Evanescence of the Baltic Sea”. The artist asks the question whether we can reconcile ourselves to the gradual disappearance of the sea as we have known it since childhood. She refrains from moralising and indicating the right course of action - it is too late for that. Instead, he suggests that we reflect on the failure of humanity as a whole, too busy developing new technologies and ignoring their impact on the environment.
The figures in Caspar Friedrich’s paintings looked into the watery abyss with hopes and plans to cross it. Łałowska looks at the sea with a sense of nostalgia and impending separation. In her performance with a camera, she transforms a typical rest on the beach into a symbolic farewell to the sea. Using ceramic objects, she stages a ceremony that alludes to old funeral rituals. He lights several previously prepared censers and spins a philosophical tale while performing the ritual act. In the last sequence of the film, he lays a piece of amber on the seashore to give it back to the sea where it belongs and thus symbolically restore the proper order of things.
The sea waves have left traces that only the artist can understand. Łałowska collected natural sea drifts left on the beach and then used them as models for faithfully reproduced ceramic sculptures. In this way, she built a collection resembling a prosthesis of reality, which is soon to disappear irrevocably. The artist meticulously reproduced the texture of tree bark and broken twigs, which she then covered with natural white paint. The effect is reminiscent of a coral reef fading as the water temperature rises. She then arranged the objects on the beach and allowed them to be reclaimed by the sand - a desperate attempt at redemption for our sins.
Before returning them to nature, the artist placed them in the gallery space along with photographs of their prototypes. She also presented one of the reasons for the gradual dying of the Baltic Sea - the fishing net as a symbol of poaching. Łałowska arranged the net in the form of an oval construction, raised in a triumphant gesture. Yet it is still a tool for killing fish, now it becomes a symbol of disgrace. Moving the net to the gallery, the artist turned it into a ready-made object and a museum exhibit at the same time. This is reminiscent of Aljoud Lootah’s installation Yaroof, which is a tribute to traditional fishing techniques that are being abandoned in favour of more efficient but also more destructive practices.
The extinction of the Baltic Sea as a result of an increase in the earth’s average temperature is an undeniable fact. This may be due to the gradual degradation of the water’s structure caused by excessive absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, to overfishing, or to an energy imbalance in the ecosystem. When staying in a seaside resort, it is no longer appropriate to simply relax on the beach and ignore the progressive destruction of the environment. Every “post-tourist” should be aware that man has been violating ecological boundaries for a long time and that it is necessary to spread this awareness, also among art lovers.