Description

The live heartbeat of living blue mussels from the Kiel Fjord is at the center of a narrative multimedia space experience. Their life activity, which is thus visible, audible, and tangible, questions our relationship to non-human, alien life forms. The interactive projection creates a touchable interface between the undisturbed organism and the human being, who experiences direct consequences of their actions and is informed about the needs of mussels and their role in the ecosystem.

The staging is an invitation to a mindful encounter with the underestimated life form at eye level, by allowing an animal that is mostly perceived as food or a “thing” to appear as a living individual. The “strangers” become a counterpart whose fragile heartbeat tells something about vulnerability, adaptation, and the shared dependence on water, oxygen, and time.