There are many different ways to connect with our Ocean. Art, in all its forms, can provide an immersive and creative way to gain a deeper affinity with our blue planet. It is also an expressive medium through which Ocean topics can be communicated – and has thus become an important tool in our provision of meaningful Ocean experiences.
We were very pleased to receive a grant from the Arts Council to support us in creating two unique pieces of art, both aligning with the upcoming Mayflower 400 commemorations, which are set to take place in Plymouth – home of our centre of Ocean excellence, the National Marine Aquarium – throughout 2020. Working with local communities and our Resident Artist Laura Hopes, a piece has been installed in the NMA. ‘Otoliths’ helps us imagine the stories of fish and the sea – would we hear about global warming, encounters with plastic, meetings with other creatures?
We also worked with global artist, Sarah Sense. Sarah is a Native American and her piece, ‘Listen to the Atlantic, It’s Speaking to You’. This soaring metal sculpture features a parabolic shape that encourages listening – and people can also participate by using their own voices to reflect sound across the space, reading out the names of Algonquin people of native North American who died or went missing in London around the time that the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth to North America.
Come and take a look if you are visiting the NMA and see and experience these impactful pieces first-hand.
How will this help the Ocean?
Arts and culture will have an important role to play in our work moving forward, and will help us to connect even more people to our Ocean in a way that is meaningful to them.
How you can help?
To bring culture and science together, we need you support. Donating to our charity today will help us to fuse art and the Ocean, and continue to support meaningful pathways for people to connect with the Ocean.
If you’d like to help continue our work, please donate to our charity today.