Elisa Michelet "The Wrack Zone"
Untitled Space
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Artists
Elisa Michelet
Elisa’s work explores the wrack zone—the shifting line where land and ocean meet, where tides and storms deposit fragments carried by the sea. Seaweed, driftwood, shells, ceramics, glass, and increasingly plastic accumulate here, forming both a physical boundary and a temporal one: a place where past, present, and future converge.
With all these fragments, wanted or unwanted— there is a return to land.
Not all human-made materials behave the same. Glass, terracotta, and ceramics gradually erode and return to sand, re-entering natural cycles. Plastic, by contrast, fractures endlessly—into micro-, nano-, and picoplastics—without ever mineralizing. These particles now circulate invisibly through oceans, air, and bodies, blurring the boundary between environment and self.
The works presented here reflect on this material difference. Fragments washed ashore become markers of geological and cultural time—potential technofossils embedded in future strata. They ask a simple but urgent question: what do we want to leave in the sea, i.e. how do we consider it ?
To capture these objects in states of transition, Elisa chose to work with the medium of Cyanotype, a 19th-century photographic process powered by sunlight and water. Its deep blue recalls the ocean, while its reliance on solar energy emphasizes low-impact, cyclical modes of making. The images register light, shadow, and form as fleeting impressions—echoing the slow transformation of materials and the fragile balance of marine life, much of it unseen.
With all these fragments, wanted or unwanted— there is a return to land.
Not all human-made materials behave the same. Glass, terracotta, and ceramics gradually erode and return to sand, re-entering natural cycles. Plastic, by contrast, fractures endlessly—into micro-, nano-, and picoplastics—without ever mineralizing. These particles now circulate invisibly through oceans, air, and bodies, blurring the boundary between environment and self.
The works presented here reflect on this material difference. Fragments washed ashore become markers of geological and cultural time—potential technofossils embedded in future strata. They ask a simple but urgent question: what do we want to leave in the sea, i.e. how do we consider it ?
To capture these objects in states of transition, Elisa chose to work with the medium of Cyanotype, a 19th-century photographic process powered by sunlight and water. Its deep blue recalls the ocean, while its reliance on solar energy emphasizes low-impact, cyclical modes of making. The images register light, shadow, and form as fleeting impressions—echoing the slow transformation of materials and the fragile balance of marine life, much of it unseen.
Schedule Now in session | Jan 17 (Sat) 2026-Jan 25 (Sun) 2026 3 days left Opening Hours Information
Opening Reception Jan 16 (Fri) 2026 18:00 - 22:00 | ||
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| Fee | Free | ||
| Venue | Untitled Space https://www.instagram.com/untitled_space_tokyo/  | ||
| Location | 3-13-7 Kyojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-0046 | ||
| Access | 5 minute walk from exit A2 at Keisei-Hikifune Station on the Keisei Oshiage line, 10 minute walk from the East exit of Hikifune Station on the Tobu Skytree and Kameido lines. | ||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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