LIFEBONE
2023 I SPECULATIVE DESIGN WORK BORN FROM A RESEARCH ON THE PELVIC BONE OF WHALES
Showcased at the ehibition Ef hval rekur á fjöru manns/Out of the Blue & the event Hvalasöngur
In colaboration with: Svava Þorsteinsdóttir
This work looks in too beliefs and rituals across various cultures, many of which link the lifebone (sacrum) to reincarnation and view whales as sacred beings. Whilist from a scientific perspective, the lifebone of a whale is unique—it is the only bone in its body that floats independently, unattached to the rest of the skeleton and appears to serve no clear biological function, seemingly a remnant of the whale’s evolutionary transition from land to sea. So, what is the true purpose of the lifebone?
While conducting our research we also discovered that the lifebone is more often than not missing from both installations of whale skeletons as well as drawings and pictures at museums and on the internet. Has the bone already been returned to the sea?