Oceans Mesh - our social seas

Oceans Mesh: our social seas was a creative collaboration between artist Vicki Smith (artist) and social scientist Dr Charlotte Šunde. It used an audio-visual projection to encourage conversations about the ocean and the many ways we value marine ecosystems.

This film  interweaves the many diverse ways we value our oceans and their complex and rich ecosystems. It brings together stories, research and mātauranga Māori perspectives of the sea, gathered and shared by marine ecologists and social scientists.

The aim was to prompt and provoke public conversations about ecosystem-based management (EBM) of the marine environment. Intermixing live data and graphic visualisations in multiple narratives about the seas, their inhabitants and interpretations, Oceans Mesh invites speculation and participation around these narratives.

During the festival Vicki and Charlotte invited the public to tell them what they saw and how they felt about Oceans Mesh using social media channels. People were encouraged to share their thoughts on EBM and their relationship with the sea. Anonymised comments were live streamed in the artwork during the festival.

Light Nelson is a biannual art event that attracts thousands of locals and visitors to the heart of Nelson city in the dark of winter.