FAO 77
Photographic Sculpture
2011
Pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Pearl, conservation matboard, adhesives. Hand cut and assembled. Series of four, different sizes.
In a world of limited resources, but unlimited wants and needs, commercial fishing stands as one of the major threats to marine biodiversity. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization FAO, 87% of the world’s fisheries are now either fully or over-exploited. (Source: The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2012). Fish and other aquatic animals have developed into just another commodity. They are no longer considered an integral part of a unique ecosystem.
Musicians Seamounts
The FAO divides the world oceans into a number of major fishing areas. My project recreates small portions of the Eastern Central Pacific region’s seabed topography at a scale of 1 : 100.000. Since this region is also known as «FAO 77», I decided to adopt the term as the series’ main title. When searching for nautical charts to use as a blueprint for my project, I came across a group of bizarre underwater peaks. Named Musicians Seamounts, they rise from the ocean floor north of the Hawaiian Islands. The corresponding map is certainly the most beautiful template I have worked with so far. Rather than depict solid geological structures it seems to illustrate water swirl or fish shoal motion. With each seamount named after a famous composer, it appears all the more to be a sketch for a dance choreography.
The close-up photographs of underwater flora and fauna, on the other hand, are the result of taking several deep-dives into local grocery stores. As a result, «FAO 77» seems to feature a varied landscape made up of vibrant and abundant marine life when viewed from a distance. But once you immerse yourself in the blue ocean, you’ll find it composed of disposable food containers. What at first seemed like fish or aquatic plants in their natural state, finally reveals itself as processed seafood from the chiller cabinet. Headed and gutted, filleted or portioned, neatly packaged and appropriately labeled.