Plastic Hypersea is an interactive, site-specific work by artist Sissel Marie Tonn that can be experienced at the NDSM Wharf in Amsterdam from 23 April until the end of May.

Set in the year 2099, Plastic Hypersea is a guided, spatial and interactive experience that speculates on a possible future for the field of immunology in which it has merged with the field of Environmental Health. As the listener explores the terrain they are invited to imagine the environment as an extension of their immune system and to contemplate the many ways in which their bodies are entangled with microplastics in the sediments of Amsterdam’s waterways. Ultimately, Plastic Hypersea asks listeners to abandon the war metaphors haunting immunology and to contemplate a more expanded sense of self.

Produced in collaboration with musician Vincenzo AcquAria Castellana and sound and recording artist BJ Nilsen, the geolocated sound experience is augmented with custom boat sails and ceramic sculptures, created by Sissel, which act as ‘membranes’ encoded with material and immaterial data about the hydrophobic industrial waste flowing through the waters of the Netherlands.

Sissel Marie Tonn is a Danish artist based in The Hague. Her practice focuses on the shifts in perception that occur when humans are entangled with their environment, blurring the boundaries between bodies and surroundings. Her artistic research often results in interactive sensorial installations and objects as an invitation for the audience to actively participate in her works.

To access the work, download the Echoes app, put on your earphones and wander around the area of the NDSM Wharf following the sails and ceramic sculptures. The gradual unfolding of the work will be triggered as you walk and explore the terrain.

Additional credits:
Narration: Sallie Harmsen
Music and composition: Vincenzo AcquAria Castellana
Sound recording and mixing: BJ Nilsen