Processual Work: Blackbirding

As part of Bringing In The Tide, Laakkonen contributes a performance that can be experienced throughout the exhibition period and at various locations within the Wadden Sea ecosystem. He develops a series of nature‑based tools, which he shapes through slow, hands‑on processes. The idea behind these tools is to carry out forms of nature care that are as unproductive as filtering the wind or showing birds where to land.

The performance unfolds as a poetic, humorous, and critical commentary on the regulations and conservation measures that define who is permitted to act within protected landscapes. It points to the paradox that nature, such as the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site, often appears most protected when interventions are artistic or aesthetic, yet remains negotiable when economic interests are at stake.