LISBON, PORTUGAL (25 June 2022) – Oceano Azul Foundation, together with The Ocean Agency, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the Lisbon City Council, and other partners opened the Ocean Decade Exhibition, a global exhibition of creativity that aims to raise awareness of the importance of the ocean and inspire greater ocean knowledge and conservation during the pivotal UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (the Ocean Decade).

The Exhibition will run from 25 June – 9 July 2022 in Rossio Square, Lisbon and is timed to coincide with the UN Ocean Conference in the city. It will then travel to Geneva, and other major cities. Nearly forty artworks by artists from around the world are featured in the Exhibition, and each creatively illustrates one of the UN’s 7 Principles of Ocean Literacy. The artworks are also being made freely available so anyone can curate and create their own exhibitions. Micro-exhibitions are being planned and displayed in over 1000 venues ranging from schools to aquariums across the globe.

The Exhibition Program, endorsed as an official activity of the Ocean Decade, was the brainchild of The Ocean Agency, the nonprofit, best known for taking Google Street View underwater and revealing the impacts of climate change on the ocean in the award-winning Netflix Original Documentary, Chasing Coral.

“Ocean science and conservation has an image problem – people generally aren’t engaged and there is little awareness about the fundamental importance of the ocean to life on our planet. This has led to a chronic lack of support for ocean science and conservation. Our aim with this exhibition is to make people see the ocean from a completely new perspective and to think about the importance of protecting it,” said Richard Vevers, CEO and Founder of The Ocean Agency.

Julian Barbière, Chief of Marine Policy at UNESCO, who heads the Ocean Decade Coordination Unit, welcomed the opportunity to use the Ocean Decade Exhibition “as a means to bring society closer to the high level policy discussions happening through the UN Ocean Conference. “Effective, truly transformative ocean action must come from governments and citizens, alike, informed by the best knowledge available. This Exhibition is an important piece in promoting the kind of co-design of knowledge for ocean policies and solutions that we need to create the ocean we want by 2030. That’s what the Ocean Decade is all about,” he added.

João Falcato, board member of Oceano Azul Foundation, highlighted that “for decades, the Ocean has been quietly defending us against the full impacts of climate change. Yet our societies continue to overlook the profoundness of the ocean crisis. This exhibition intends to trigger an emotional response from people, bringing the ocean out of the deep and dark depths and into the lives of the viewer”.

Content for the ongoing exhibition is being provided by the global creative community, especially young artists and designers, mobilized through a series of creative challenges in partnership with Adobe and other partners. The campaign, #CreateWaves, by Adobe and The Ocean Agency kicked off its second creative challenge this past World Oceans Week, allowing anyone to be part of Ocean Decade Exhibition and have their work help raise awareness and inspire action.

Original Article Source: oceandecade.org/news/ocean-decade-exhibition-launches-in-lisbon-to-raise-awareness-of-the-importance-of-the-ocean-during-the-un-ocean-conference