17 / 11 / 2013
Photo: Luca Nessa Calafalas Baetens
‘Marine Art’ was a unique project (October 2012 - February 2013) in which the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) brought art students of the Academy for Visual Arts Ghent into contact with the world of marine researchers from the Marine@UGent consortium of the Ghent University. By means of a presentation, a dialogue or a visit to the lab, the art students learned about the status of the ocean and about marine scientific work.
Aim was to enhance the art students’ ocean literacy, which is all about understanding the ocean’s influence on people and the influence of people on the ocean. It is also about assessing what people know, want to know and should know about the ocean.
1 250 participants (between 6 and 70 years old) followed one or more of the 65 workshops organised. This resulted in more than 300 drawings, paintings, graphics, sculptures, mixed media work, illustrations, photographs and animated films. End-point of the project was an exposition for the public at large (2 – 6 February 2013), where the art work was confronted with the science that gave the initial inspiration to it. About 8 000 visitors came to admire the 2 000 square meters of art expo.
The report 'Marine Art - marine science sets sail to the art world' wants to document this process, the interpretation by the art students, the work-in-progress and the resulting art expo; complemented with quotes and pictures of participating art students, teachers and scientists.
Goffin, A.; Fockedey, N.; Seys, J.; Tavernier, I. (Ed.) (2013). Marine art: Marine science sets sail to the art world. Flanders Marine Institute/Ghent University: Oostende & Gent. 143 pp.
The publication can be downloaded as a pdf or browsed through online.
More pictures and videos of Marine Art workshops and the exposition can be found on the photo and video gallery www.vliz.be/MarineArt.
The Marine Art project was presented at three international audiences:
- At the occasion of the second European Ocean Literacy conference, held at Plymouth University in the UK (3-5 September 2013). Dr. Jan Seys (Flanders Marine Institute) held the plenary lecture ‘Marine Art as part of a shock therapy’ to an audience of 100+ European marine science educators and communicators.
- On a workshop on European Ocean Literacy, coordinated by the European Marine Board Communications Panel, Dr. Jan Seys (Flanders Marine Institute) showed how art can play an important role in bridging the gap between the public at large and scientists.
- Marine Art was also presented to Master students ‘Education and Outreach’ at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro during a workshop of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists
(17-20 September 2013; Brazil), by Marine @UGent coordinator Ines Tavernier.