Art4Sea, Melting Art, Creativity and Marine Sciences to foster Ocean Literacy in the Mediterranean area

Ocean health is an urgent issue, and the focus of the most recent actions of the United Nations. The ART4SEA project aims to contribute to the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) by combining art, creativity, science and technology to raise public awareness towards greater respect for the marine environment. During the development of the project, 24 artists were selected through an open call responding to three categories (physical art, digital art and underwater art) and were subsequently trained by scientists from the ICM and CEAB on ocean functioning, ocean literacy and marine conservation, as well as by experts from other fields on sustainable practices in art and digital technologies. Their preparation was completed with participation in one of the three residencies developed on 3 small Mediterranean islands: Ústica in Italy, Alonissos in Greece and Gozo in Malta, where the artists were inspired by the majestic natural environments, ancient maritime traditions and interaction with local communities to create digital and physical art designs. In 2025, their artworks were presented on the respective islands, and 3D Research has transformed to a virtual exhibition with the digitization of the physical and underwater works. During the talk, the project itself and its development will be presented by members of 3D Research and the ICM, as well as some artists will explain their experience and present their work