Steffen Diemer | Wakame
I acquired a herbarium lovingly compiled by an unknown collector between 1866 and 1869. The location of the algae, along with their different species, dates, and years, are meticulously recorded in a journal at the end of the herbarium. Establishing a relationship with these lifeless algae took time, and it was discovering a long poem (Chōka) by Kakinomoto no Hitomaro that sparked my interest in them. In this farewell poem to his wife, the artist uses algae as a metaphor for his love.
Algae are found everywhere, in the sea and in freshwater, from polar regions to the tropics. Some of them thrive in extreme conditions. Cyanobacteria and algae are credited with transforming the once toxic atmosphere into an oxygen-rich one, enabling the emergence of animal life on the planet.
Using a photographic process that is 170 years old, I create unique pieces on specially made black glass for these works. These ambrotypes (a term derived from the Greek word "ambrotos," meaning "immortal") breathe new life into the algae from the herbarium, making them immortal.
Steffen Diemer
Photographs by Steffen Diemer
With a text by Hans-Michael Koetzle
Designed by Joana Bravo
124 pages
Hardcover book, 21 x 16 cm
Limited edition of 200 copies, two cover versions
Special edition of 10, each with a wet plate collodion photograph on black glass
Published and released by the(M) éditions and Ira Stehmann Fine Art, October 2024
