Obscure Recorder

Maps, our familiar guides to understanding the world, meticulously portray the lands we know so well, yet reveal almost nothing of the ocean—leaving vast expanses blank, mysterious, unexplored. 'Obscure Recorder' marks the poetic conclusion of a year-long journey into these unseen worlds beneath the waves, serving both as an archive and a tool to uncover hidden narratives. Set against the backdrop of the North Sea in Northern Europe and the East Sea of East Asia, this project unfolded through direct explorations of coastal landscapes, crossing boundaries to collect, classify, and analyze objects and materials washed ashore. The ocean breathes and moves restlessly, carrying with it an endless array of treasures and detritus. Throughout this research, objects and materials were studied, shattered, burnt, and melted—revealing interconnected tales of submerged forests, vanished ice-age landscapes, heavy metal pollution, industrial residue, fisheries, and even the unseen journeys of contraband. Ultimately, these collected materials—seaweed, regionally distinctive rocks and slags, fish bones, fish leather, and plastic waste—transform into metaphorical archives, reborn as objects and furniture, inviting observers into a new form of storytelling. By embracing perspectives beyond our human-centric views, this work encourages a shift away from seeing oceans merely as resources or commodities. Instead, it seeks respect for oceans as entities thriving in different rhythms and dimensions, guiding us toward deeper awareness and appreciation of their intrinsic value.