Through the Social Life of the Sea-Shell

Published August 28, 2023

Through the Social Life of the Sea-Shell is a publication by Delphine Lejeune, a visual designer and material researcher based in Amsterdam. It was made in collaboration with writer Esteban Gómez-Rosselli and printed by Raddraaier SSP. Lejeune writes:

Looking at nature is a critical moment of self discovery. The sea-shell has historically been part of this practice, which now hides behind the banality of its displaced context as souvenir.

This journey to re-evaluate the sea-shell through the practices of observing, collecting, describing, classifying, and manipulating a visual digital archive to reclaim its condition, first as a natural object, as a speculative object that has been central to mythic and scientific fascination, and as the unit of a wide constellation of value circulation. Through design research, it aims to salvage the inner world of coquillage.

Antonym is used throughout, including for the 3D printed sand case.

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