MARE INCOGNITUM

This poetic exhibition and talk with Associate Professor Katrina Wiberg is part of the international architecture festival OPEN24.

MARE INCOGNITUM

Under the blue surface, in the dark depths of the oceans composed of water, salt and dissolving plastics, with unknown species and intricate ecosystems still to be rendered, lies the wish of unhindered extraction not to be seen by the terrestrial eye, the Mare Incognitum.

Mare Incognitum forms the fluid space covering the ocean bed with its deep structures of plains and abysses. The ocean bed provides an undersea land prone to depleting valuable resources without being seen with the land-based eyes of humans. The secret depths of monsters and unknowns are turning into secrets of techno-centric monsters and unhindered monetary gain.

The ocean has been the connector between dry lands, with abundant life-sustaining terrestrial living, accommodating transportation, communication, and trade. Also, it has formed mythologies, narratives or experiences of sunken cities, sea monsters, and giant rogue waves – unfolding a myriad of mappings and tales of the unseen and the unforeseen.

The understanding of the ocean floors was disputed for centuries. However, new understandings of these hidden landscapes and Earth’s moving crust emerged with Marie Tharpe’s intricate and precise mappings of the ocean floor. Echo sound measures, drawn up by Tharpe’s hand and open-minded, imaginative interpretations, lead to the recognition of the tectonic places.

Meanwhile, the depletion of resources on land fostered a new gaze under the surface; The Mare Incognitum presents a landscape of valuable resources prone to deep-sea harvest justified by green transition. A treasure hunt has started.

Illustrations and Models

The Mare Incognitum consists of four models forming a circle for dialogue and exploration. Each model shows a sub-surface ocean landscape presenting reserved and claimed areas for extracting valuable metals. The models are presented at Open 24, offering a gaze into the hidden landscapes and unseen demarcations of the oceans. Drawing upon Marie Tharpe’s mappings, the ocean floors are interpreted as section models hidden inside the blue gaze of plastic and water, seeking to render terrestrial and aquatic extraction practices.

The illustrations show a section of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone close to Hawaii and some reserved extraction areas.

Credits

Research, concept, graphics and narrative: Katrina Wiberg, Associate Professor, PhD, Center for Emerging Landscapes, AAA, teacher at Studio 1F
Digital drawing, concept and visualisations: Nikolaj Knudsen, Architect, PhD
Exhibition design: Karen Kjaergaard, curator Aarhus School of Architecture​