How to make an ocean

The artist Kasia Molga endured tremendous grief after experiencing a devastating loss in the Autumn of 2019. This induced her to start collecting her tears in a small container as she wondered:

'Can my tears sustain a sea life?'

The installation is a personal journey through the past 18 months, the experience of a narrative in the form of a multifaceted installation. Stored in tiny bottles, the audience can look at the collection of tears and life represented in them. In each bottle, algae grow in the artist’s tears. With the help of an AI Moirologist Bot, whose ‘behaviour’ depends on the day’s environmental news headlines, the audience is invited to try to shed some tears in a separate, intimate, darkened room to contribute to the collection of micro-oceans.

The installation creates a space that allows a profoundly human experience without the need to fear the consequences: crying. It reaches out to all who mourn regardless of the reason - to make a connection, create awareness, and have a space to grieve: where no tear is shed in vain. Life and joy can grow out of sorrow - be it energetically, spiritually, or emotionally, it always leads to growth and transformations.

This work was realised within the framework of the European Media Art Platforms (EMAP) programme at Ars Electronica (AT) with support of the Creative Europe Culture Programme of the European Union.