To the always talking sea
introduction
copyright ©2026 jocelyn janon
developmental project
To the always talking sea
To the always talking sea is a project in development which, if selected will be presented at Cumulus 2026 in Dunedin, November 2026.
The project is in two parts:
Developmental paper: To the always talking sea by Jocelyn.
X-Session, ie workshop: Where seaweeds speak by Jocelyn + Movement Artist.
Where seaweeds speak
[temporary title]Jocelyn
developmental paper
To the always talking sea
To the always talking sea, a title drawn from a James K. Baxter poem, explores how coastal environments can act as partners in shaping relational design practices.Early findings suggest that working “with” natural places unsettles extractive habits of looking and opens space for design approaches grounded in reciprocity, humility, and ecological literacy.At Kuri Bush, south of Dunedin, this partnership becomes visible through the continual arrival of seaweed carried by tides.In my project, beached seaweeds act as signs, a vocabulary, and a language yet to be deciphered, material expressions that invite designers into practices of listening, interpretation, response.Across iwi narratives, seaweed is understood as a message from Tangaroa, while in Japan, it is described as umi no tegami, letters from the sea.Both perspectives recognise seaweed as part of a living communication network, one that expresses the ocean’s movements, moods, and ecological conditions. Through repeated field visits and embodied engagement with the shoreline, the project explores how designers can cultivate sensitivity to these material cues and the forms of knowledge they convey.This developmental paper reflects on how such practices can expand relational design vocabularies and support more responsive, situated forms of practice in coastal environments.seaweed photography at Kuri Bush
signs
ink on paperThese drawings are proof of concept.
The final ones will use a specific ink.graphemes
A grapheme is the smallest unit of writing in a language.
It is the written counterpart to a spoken sound (a phoneme)
asemic writings
Asemic writing is a form of writing that looks like text but carries no fixed meaning
Asemi-Nereid cannot be spoken in the traditional sense of human speech.
It is a language of Gestural Performance accompanied by a specific auditory soundscape.asemi-nereid language
Movement Artist + Jocelyncumulus X-session
Where seaweeds speak
[temporary title]
Asemi-Nereid is a nature-based linguistic system conceptualised by Jocelyn Janon and developed using AI to structure a language using seaweed specimens from photographer Jocelyn Janon's series 'to the always talking sea'.
The system categorises these specimens as graphemes (functional units of a non-linear script) and is designed for performance rather than conventional speech.
The framework bridges botanical morphology and semiotic theory, offering movement artists a method to express the fluid, transient identities of the marine environment through gestural-auditory performance.
Practitioners use gestural tracing and vocalised environmental textures (sibilant (hissing) shifts and glottal stops) to embody and perform marine forms.
As the workshop facilitator, your role is to guide participants through the interpretation of seaweed morphology as a performative language system, teaching them to translate organic visual forms into embodied movement and sound.
framework
conceptual foundation
Asemi-Nereid operates at the intersection of asemic writing, marine biology, and performance art. The system was conceptualised by Jocelyn Janon and developed using AI to interpret Jocelyn Janon's photographic documentation of dried seaweed specimens, treating each organic form as a communicative unit.core principles:
asemic writing
The foundation rests on asemic writing: visual marks that appear linguistic but carry no fixed verbal meaning. This openness enables subjective interpretation and personal expression. Each dried seaweed specimen functions as a grapheme in a script that invites individual projection and emotional response.marine-derived semiotics
The name 'Asemi-Nereid' combines 'asemic' (without sign) with 'Nereids' (sea nymphs from Greek mythology), creating the conceptual identity of a "Sea-Nymph's Wordless Script." The language is felt through marine fluidity rather than spoken through conventional verbal structures.gestural-auditory expression
This language exists in embodied performance. Practitioners trace the complex paths of seaweed forms with hands, arms, and whole body while creating soundscapes that echo coastal environments—the rush of water over sand, the snap of dried kelp, the whisper of tide.interdisciplinary bridge
Asemi-Nereid connects natural sciences with artistic practice, providing movement artists with a framework to engage environmental themes, identity, and the transient beauty of marine ecosystems through performance.pedagogical approach
When teaching Asemi-Nereid, emphasise the following:visual literacy
Participants must learn to read organic forms as communicative units, identifying morphological features that correspond to specific graphemic categories.embodied translation
The practice requires translating two-dimensional visual information into three-dimensional movement, maintaining the essential character of each form.sonic environment
Vocal textures are not arbitrary but derive from actual coastal soundscapes, grounding the performance in environmental authenticity.interpretive freedom
While the system provides structure, individual interpretation is essential. The asemic nature of the writing allows for personal meaning-making within the established framework.
the 'non-spoken' tongue: performance practice
These notes are offered as suggestions only; the workshop and performance practice remain entirely the creation of the movement artist, developed in collaboration with Jocelyn and guided by the Asemi‑Nereid language itself.
Asemi-Nereid is not spoken in the traditional sense. It is a language of gestural performance accompanied by a specific auditory soundscape.
To 'speak' Asemi-Nereid is to physically manifest graphemes using your body, synchronized with vocalized textures that evoke the coastal environment.
how to perform Asemi-Nereid
gestural tracing
Use your hands, arms, and entire body to trace the complex paths of each glyph.
The quality of your movement modifies the meaning:Slow, fluid traces indicate memory, reflection, or gentle transformationJagged, tense traces indicate conflict, urgency, or disruptionSpeed, tension, and orientation all contribute to the nuanced expression of each grapheme
Think of your body as a brush painting in three-dimensional space, following the organic curves and tangles of seaweed forms.sound tracing
Sibilant ShiftsCreate rushing 'sh', 's', and 'z' sounds that mimic the friction of dried kelp against sand or the hiss of waves retreating over pebbles. These sounds indicate flow or transition between gestures, connecting one thought to the next like water flowing between tide pools.Glottal StopsSharp, percussive vocal breaks represent boundaries between distinct thoughts or the sudden snap of a dried stalk. These stops punctuate your performance, creating moments of clarity and definition within the fluid movement.bringing it together
In performance, you become a living translation of the sea's language. Each gesture is a word, each sound a punctuation mark, each sequence a sentence written in the air. The workshop will guide through exercises that build fluency in this unique mode of expression, helping you develop your own choreographic vocabulary rooted in marine morphology.Learning the language elements
teaching progression
Introduction Present the visual alphabet using Janon's photographs or reproductions.Identification Have participants identify morphological categories in various specimens.Tracing Begin with two-dimensional tracing (hand on paper/screen) before moving to three-dimensional space.Embodiment Progress from hand gestures to full-body movement.Vocalisation Introduce sonic elements after gestural vocabulary is established.Composition Guide participants in creating sequences that combine multiple graphemes.
de Hamel, Michael, James K. Baxter (c.1965-1972).
Hocken Digital Collections, accessed 29/03/2026,
https://hocken.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/53393
At Kuri Bush
James K. Baxter, 1966.
A few days back I climbed the mound
Where the farmhouse had stood,
As green as any that the Maoris made
Along that coast. The fog was blowing
Through gates and up gullies
Hiding even the stems of cocksfoot grass
That had sprung up in place of
The sitting-room table and the small brass
Kerosene lamp my mother lighted
Every night, whose white wick would burn
Without changing colour. Somebody must have
Used the old brushwood fence for kindling
Twenty years ago. Outside it
My father stood when I was three or less,
Holding me up to look at
The gigantic rotating wheel of the stars
Whose time isn't ours. The mound yielded
No bones, no coins, but only
A chip of the fallen chimney
I put in the pocket of a damp coat
Before I bumbled back down to the road
With soaking trousers. That splinter of slate
Rubbed by keys and cloth like an amulet
Would hold me back if I tried to leave this island
For the streets of London or New York.
I hope one day they'll plant me in
The kind of hole they dig for horses
Under a hilltop cabbage tree
Not too far from the river that goes
Southwards to the always talking sea.
ai use disclosure statement
This text was developed with the assistance of AI tools for language refinement.
These tools were used to support grammar correction and improve clarity in English, which is my third language.
AI did not contribute to the generation of ideas or content; rather, it served as a supportive tool to enhance expression and ensure accuracy, without replacing my original voice or creativity.