Background image:
Courtesy of Tue Greenfort
Title: Coral Fresh Color, photo edition

WE ARE OCEAN is an official project contributing to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. An interdisciplinary art project to raise awareness about our interdependence with the ocean in Berlin, Venice, Marseille, Vancouver from 2019 to 2021. It grew into WE ARE OCEAN Global Program and was endorsed by UNESCO as a UN Ocean Decade Project in 2021 until 2030 under the umbrella of the Ocean Literacy for All Program.

WE ARE OCEAN gathers institutions, cultural practitioners, policymakers, the youth and the general audience to discuss solutions for improving ocean health and reducing the human impact on the environment. Our contribution aims to stimulate educational and behavioural change among young people and adults through art and scientific programs including workshops, panel discussions, scientific interventions, art performances and film screenings.

WE ARE OCEAN draws inspiration from Epeli Hau’Ofa‘s works “We are the ocean” which is a collection of essays, fiction and poetry by the Tongan writer and ethnographer. His work challenges dominant discourses about Oceania and prescriptions for its development. We acknowledge his work as a source of inspiration and a guide for our mission throughout the project such as the creation of alternative perspectives and solutions to implement climate action and the full integration of indigenous worldviews in the art, science and education.

United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

THE “WE ARE OCEAN” CURATORS

Anne-Marie Melster
Anne-Marie Melster

Artistic Director and Coordinator

Julia Moritz
Julia Moritz

Co-Curator of the film program

Anastasia Loginova
Anastasia Loginova

Curator WE ARE OCEAN Wadden Sea The Netherlands (Sensing the Wadden Sea)

Anastasia Loginova is a cultural producer and part-time artist. She is associate curator for ARTPORT_making waves The Netherlands and Curator for the WE ARE OCEAN Wadden Sea Netherlands project. Her strengths lie in curating and facilitating exhibitions and events as well as bringing people (and beings) together. Anastasia holds degrees in Art History from University College London (UCL), ArtScience from the ArtScience Interfaculty embedded between the Royal Conservatoire and The Royal Academy for Fine Arts, The Hague, and Art Business MA from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art (NYC). She is currently also coordinator at the ArtScience Interfaculty.

THE “WE ARE OCEAN” COMMISSIONED ARTISTS

Lisa Rave
Lisa Rave

(Berlin)

Portrait of the award-winning artist, filmmaker, writer Marc Johnson
Marc Johnson

(Marseille)

Sophia Bulgakova
Sophia Bulgakova

(The Netherlands)

Insa Winkler

(Germany)

Tue Greenfort
Tue Greenfort

(Denmark)

“WE ARE OCEAN BERLIN” Partners

“WE ARE OCEAN VENICE” Partners

“WE ARE OCEAN MARSEILLE” Partners

“WE ARE OCEAN VANCOUVER” Partners