Abigail MacPhee

Project Introduction

‘Lighthouse Incisions’ began with a simple intention: to explore the Icelandic landscape, its culture, and its people, with a particular focus on kelp cultivation and pastoralism using a few select lighthouses as areas of investigation. However, as I delved deeper into this world, I uncovered a hidden side of Icelandíc identity - its past and present material and industrial practices. And so, I found myself tumbling down a rabbit hole of discovery, exploring the deep currents of labor and matter that have shaped Icelandíc history and may impact its future.

The project started with an interest in bridging aquatic and terrestrial stewardship practices, and using lighthouses as areas of investigation, symbolizing areas that bridge these boundaries between land and sea and the Icelandic Resiliency. After scouring the coast I chose five lighthouses as landscape acupuncture points and areas of investigation, they became my sateliite sites, representative of specific Icelandic dynamic processes: Reyjkanesviti, Dyrholaey, Flotningur, Hjalteyri, and Myeoyri. These sites served as gateways to unravel the intricate forces that shape Iceland's remarkable terrain, from tectonic activities to the aluminum smelting industry. The project's primary objective was to anchor these dynamic processes in the Vattarnes peninsula, a deliberate choice to address the detrimental impacts caused by the aluminum smelter activity. This raised an important research question: Can we integrate aquatic and terrestrial stewardship practices while creating an actively remediating landscape that serves as a material mosaic? Furthermore, can this transformed landscape offer profound insights into Iceland's socio-ecological practices, providing a reflective and critical lens