Wired earphones end not in ear tips but in small shells. There is an old story that if you hold a shell to your ear, you can hear the sea. So the moment the earphones go in, it feels as if the waves will arrive before the song. A digital camera carries a large conch beside its grip. A binder labeled ARCHIVES sits on the desk with one conch standing upright next to it.
There is also a series where one shell is chosen each day for a week. Picking a different shell for each day is a lot like picking what to wear. Ripple-patterned shells, spotted whelks, small bleached white shells. Shells with different surfaces and colors become tools to hold the mood of different days.
Beside the hard objects of the city, the curve of a shell looks stranger, and so more beautiful. Among plastic and metal, seashells create a soft and irregular rhythm. If you cannot live away from the sea, you can live with the sea beside you—this is Mer's method. Conchs and shells inside a washing machine, a cake stacked in the shape of shells, a shell cake with a single candle on top—all are results of that method.
Mer brings the sea onto land. Shells placed inside a capsule blister pack are labeled 'conch supplements, one a day.' Taking out one shell a day like a daily supplement. What kind of sea finds its way into your day?
FAQ
What objects does Mer use to bring the ocean into everyday life?
Mer attaches white shells to earphone tips, places conch shells beside digital cameras and next to document binders. There's a week-long series choosing different shells daily, plus washing machines filled with shells and shell-shaped cakes. One piece packages shells in blister packs labeled 'Conch Supplements.'
What is Mer's week-long shell series?
A series showcasing one shell chosen for each day of the week. Selecting a different shell daily mirrors choosing what to wear, with each shell's unique surface and color serving as a vessel for that day's particular mood and feeling.
What are the Conch Supplements that Mer created?
An object featuring shells packaged in blister packs labeled 'Conch Supplements, one daily dose.' It proposes a ritual of taking out one shell per day like a daily supplement, exemplifying Mer's approach to bringing the ocean onto land.
