The Smiling Sea Star after The Smiling Sun (2023), Harun Morrison

The Smiling Sea Star /  Starfish takes after Anne Lund’s  anti-nuclear icon, The Smiling Sun (1975). The Smiling Starfish, uses the same expression and colour of the sun, but the starfish and blue point to its use for coastal and marine protest. The varying texts  accompanying the Smiling Starfish include: ‘Raw Sewage? No Thanks’, ‘Deep Sea Mining? No Thanks’ and ‘More Plastic? No Thanks’.  The Smiling Sea Star / Starfish has been developed in the context of an  artist placement with Greenpeace UK and exhibitions addressing coastal environmental politics.  There are around 1,600 different species of starfish / sea stars living in the world’s oceans, where they occupy every type of habitat including tidal pools, rocky shores, sea grass, kelp beds and coral reefs.

Join artist and writer Harun Morrison for an informal discussion-while-on-the-move about sewage, water systems and pollution. We will set off from Projects Arts Centre in Temple Bar, walk along the River Liffey and end at Dublin Port Company. In the process we will take turns in carrying a specially made banner which reads RAW SEWAGE, NO THANK YOU! The motif was developed during Harun’s research period as an Associate Artist with Greenpeace and it is titled The Smiling Sea Star after The Smiling Sun.  This event will be followed by a workshop titled Environmental Justice Questions Workshop led by artist Harun Morrison (booking for the workshop is required)