The Only Flowering Plant In The Ocean

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Mediterranean seagrass - Posidonia oceanica - grows all around our island. It's an extraordinary plant, the only flowering one in the ocean, and it is vital to marine ecosystems worldwide. It stores carbon, fills the ocean with oxygen, and provides a habitat for everyone else. It's also under threat, with some 60% of seagrass meadows disappearing from the ocean in the last few decades.

On Aegina, and around the Mediterranean, seagrass has been used for generations as insulation for houses and fertiliser for fields. Although these practices have largely disappeared, and been replaced by synthetic and unsustainable alternatives, the seagrass is still here. 

We've been using seagrass as insulation in our projects, and it really is a wonder material: fire-resistant, inhospitable to pests, and free to collect on the beaches. Moreover, as we've used it, we've discovered its worlds, and become involved in conservation efforts to preserve and regenerate local seagrass meadows in the Aegean.

We want to share this knowledge, and raise awareness about seagrass ecology and conservation. And the Vennice Biennial has invited us to do so: but they don't offer any financial support. That's why we're asking for help.

We want to send several packing cases of seagrass, collected on our local beaches, to Venice. As well as samples of seagrass prepared for architectural use, we'll include ceramic objects made from local clay, which tell the story of seagrass in the wild. This is a reference to the Venetian glassmakers of Murano, who used to send their wares around the world packed in seagrass from the lagoon of Venice. Even the painted crates will be made from reclaimed wood, and will form part of the exhibit, in order to minimise waste and maximise recycling as part of the project.

Please consider supporting Vessel to reach Venice. It would mean a lot to us to see a small, independent collective make it to such a large and visible platform. Doing so will also help us in the much longer term, as representation at the Biennial will enable us to make larger funding requests to national and international organisations into the future. 

You can join our indiegogo campaign and support us by clicking here.