Red Herring

8.-11.10.2024
Gotland

The first fieldtrip of the Red Herring network was hosted by Baltic Art Center BAC on the island of Gotland in October 2024. We followed the island’s perimeters exploring limestone beaches and quarries, fossils of tropical sea creatures and experimental cod nurseries, while thousands of migrating birds flew over us.

Behavioural ecologist Gunilla Rosenqvist, manager of the regional knowledge centre Blått Centrum Gotland and the marine research station in Ar, introduced the interdisciplinary environmental research of Uppsala University in the Campus Gotland. Archeologist, PhD researcher Beatrice Krooks (GRASS, Campus Gotland) allowed us into her laboratory to gain insights into what ancient fish bones can tell us about the prehistoric cultures and the local ecology. We also gained a bird’s eye view on the island from the long-term perspective of the artist Lars Jonsson, one of Sweden’s most prominent portrayers of birds.

The Red Herring network project brings together artists and scientists across the Baltic Sea to address the intertwined ecological and societal changes affecting the shared marine environment and the communities around it. Red Herring is co-organised by CAA, Baltic Art Center BAC and Kordon Residency with support from the Nordic Culture Point.