Look Closer into Dartmouth Cove by Zonghua Ai
As part of the 2026 STEPS Public Art Residency, in partnership with Nocturne, Zonghua Ai, a Chinese crafter, forager, and food scientist based in Kepeke’k/Dartmouth NS, created an embroidered quilt picturing the waterbody of Dartmouth Cove and the marine life living in it.
Project at a glance
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Artists: Zonghua Ai
Documentarian: Zonghua Ai
Year: 2026
Services: Artist Capacity Building
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artist-in-residence
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temporary interactive sculpture
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partner
About Look Closer into Dartmouth Cove by Zonghua Ai
Look Closer into Dartmouth Cove is an embroidered quilt picturing the waterbody of Dartmouth Cove and the marine life living in it. It uses fluorescent white thread on unbleached white fabric, to simulate the difficulties for public to feel the biodiversity in Dartmouth Cove. With UV flashlights, participants can see the “glowing” marine life and their names clearly. My idea of using fluorescent thread comes from the fluorescent nature of some marine animals. The marine life depicted are based on actual lifeforms living in.
To me, nothing says more about city than the tight-woven human-human and land-human relationship. The bioblitz for Dartmouth Cove embodies all of it: people care about (land and) water we live around, curious people explore the water and bring back knowledge, and the knowledge supports the protection of water. I think the curiosity and caring are what made us human, and this dense humanity power against capitalist greed is the core of a resilient city. I would love to use this opportunity to raise the awareness to Dartmouth Cove and all land conservation effort happening in Mi’kma’ki and beyond. – Zonghua Ai
“The mentorship absolutely helped. Hearing an established artist sharing the same journey and struggle was really reassuring, and Raechel helped me to realize how to take my place in my artwork. STEPS also provided sponsorship, so that I had enough time and capacity to work on the piece…I found my place in art. The project feels very nice. Most were surprised that hand embroidery and hand quilting are still being done. People are very happy to see the local place they recognize.”
About the Artist
Zonghua Ai
Zonghua Ai (they/them) is a Chinese crafter, forager, and food scientist based in Kepeke’k/Dartmouth NS. They use poetry and embroidery to explore the impact of land-based learning on food security. Zonghua holds an MSc in food science from Dalhousie University with a research interest on traditional plant food and medicine in Eastern Turtle Island.
Funders
The 2026 STEPS Public Art Residency is made possible by support from TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment.
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