MARGARITIFERA MARGARITIFERA — THE WAY OF THE PEARL MUSSEL
The installation is inspired by the “Varde pearl”: the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera), famed for its pearl-creating nature. In Denmark, it exists only in the Varde Å, where it has survived since the last Ice Age—despite the “pearl fever” of the 1930s, which led to overfishing, followed by mercury pollution in the river. The species was granted full legal protection in Denmark in 1931 due to intensive exploitation.
For several years, the mussel was believed to be extinct, but a recent rediscovery in connection with the construction of a new high-voltage motorway—whose underground cables are drilled beneath the stream—has revived its story. It now serves not only as a link to the past, but also as a symbol of a sustainable Varde: a place where the freshwater pearl mussel is once again thriving.
Visually, the mussel is reflected in the work both through the silhouettes of the enamel plates and in the hand-painted areas of the composition, which mirror the mussel buried in the riverbed with its back facing the current, filtering plankton from the water. The gable motif, with its meandering zigzag character, is inspired by the Varde River and is intended as an experience of motion leading toward the gable and the entrance to the sculpture park Varde Garten.
Facts about the freshwater pearl mussel:
The freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) is characterized by a dark, elongated, kidney-shaped shell. It is a rare and critically endangered species, known for its ability to produce pearls. During its larval stage, it depends on salmon and trout as host species. The mussel inhabits clear, stable freshwater streams, where it persists through slow growth, filtration, and exceptionally long life spans, reflecting environmental conditions over extended periods of time.
It is capable of remarkable longevity: the recorded age in the Varde Å is 155 years, and it becomes sexually mature at around 30 years of age. Pearl formation is a slow process, and the older the mussel, the greater the likelihood it will produce a pearl. From June to September, the female releases thousands of larvae, coinciding with the period when salmon and trout migrate upstream to spawn. The larvae attach to the fish’s gills and are transported to new habitats—a journey that can last from six weeks to over ten months. While attached to the fish, the larvae develop into young clams, which are eventually released. The mussels then sink to the riverbed and bury themselves at depths of up to 35 cm, typically living at two to three meters and nestled in depressions in the riverbed. The young mussel grows here for four to five years to approximately 2 cm in length, eventually reaching up to 15 cm.