Amphibiome - marking the zero point of the tide
The lowest tides on earth are found off the coast. In the sea between Sokndal and Egersund, there is an amphidromic point - a zero point in the sea where the tide equalises itself. This has always affected life here, both above and below sea level.
Studio ThinkingHand with the art project Amphibiome
With the art project Amphibiome, the artist duo Studio ThinkingHand invites you on a journey down to the seabed off Sokndal and Eigersund municipality to explore this phenomenon. The work brings the connection between the surrounding cultural landscape and the sea's vibrant maritime ecosystems closer and raises questions about what is found on the seabed here.
Co-creation process with nature
For 1.5 years, the artists have collaborated with local divers and marine scientists to investigate how maritime habitats are affected by tidal currents, geology and human intervention. They have strategically submerged five sculptural discs in glass, cement and laminated wood around the amphidromic point. After lying on the seabed for several seasons, the five discs have been covered by marine biomass and become habitats for new life. In this way, Studio ThinkingHand has invited nature to co-create the artwork, facilitating a co-creation process with great unpredictability without trying to control the outcome. This has left room for nature's chaotic images, showing stories about the cycles of life and the interaction between man, industry and nature.
Five sculptures in different locations
After nature has left its mark on the five sculptural discs, they have been brought ashore, preserved and placed along the coast as permanent installations - first three in Jøssingfjord in 2023 outside the Jøssingfjord Science Museum, and then two at the harbour in Egersund in 2025. These sites mark the movement path of the tidal zero point and function as meeting places where art, nature and society come together. In this way, Amphibiome by Studio ThinkingHand seeks to raise awareness of the interaction between humans and the sea. The project challenges us to think about how our industry and daily actions affect the region's unique biodiversity, our role in preserving it for future generations, and recognise nature's ability to create life and meaning beyond the man-made.
The art project is curated by Ida Højgaard Thjømøe and is part of the art programme The Tide is Changing.
Owned by
Dalane Folkemuseum and Eigersund Næring og Havn.
Supported by
KORO, Nordisk Kulturfond, Rogaland County Council, Sokndal and Eigersund municipalities.
