The Algae Paper

Julien Villaret's exploratory practice in the field of art has been unfolding for several years, from the French Brittany coast to Berlin. In his work, he uses macro-algae resources collected from North Finistère (Brittany, France) and transform it into paper material. This back and forth between city and countryside, earth and sea, Germany and France gives rise to a fertile correspondence where two worlds collide and mix to reveal hybrid forms, halfway between the beach and the studio. The Algae Paper project has been developed in this direction for a few years, highlighting contemporary issues like the urbanization of coastal areas and the environmental changes it causes.

The unique artist's book edition, Algae Paper from Finistère, consists of papers made with seaweed harvested on the Brittany coast, and bound by Julien Villaret. Each book has different colors of paper sheets – green, red, or dark brown – representing each family of macro-algae. Species like Ulva, Porphira (Nori), Dulse or Kombu have been used in the production of these sheets of paper. The book lets the seaweed paper extend freely beyond its format, turning it into a living, organic object, ready to begin colonizing its immediate environment. This book-making process is also a tribute to the work of the first amateur marine botanists, the Crouan Brothers, who began collecting and documenting seaweed in Brittany in beautiful handmade books (Exsiccata) at the end of the 19th century.