For ages, intensive farming has led to a massive pollution problem on the coasts of Brittany, in the western part of France. Nitrate runoff in rivers slowly ends up in the sea, leading to the proliferation of an invasive alga: the sea lettuce (Ulva).

In the summer, when the water temperature rises, this green alga comes, tide after tide, to cover most of the beaches. More importantly, it releases a toxic gas, methanethiol—a derivative of hydrogen sulfide—which can be lethal for humans and animals. This is what is called the green tides, or marées vertes in French.

Much has been said and written about this phenomenon, and green algae now have a terrible reputation in the collective imagination. Yet these marine organisms, as vital as they are essential for the environment, have been a part of the culture of coastal populations for centuries, in Brittany and beyond.

Neither condemning nor idealizing, The Algae Paper tells a different story of seaweed, viewing it as a living, evolving artistic medium in its own right, through works that combine aesthetic experimentation, underwater exploration, and cultural fiction. This is the main project I have been working on for a decade, and I hope you will find it as inspiring as Palmaria, Ulva, Laminaria, and many other algae species have been for me over the years.

JV