The works of the British artist present the sea and nature as metaphors of the human condition and address issues such as the climate emergency or the struggle against power structures.
Bluewave Alliance, promoted by ISDIN, opens the doors of its new venue at Port Olímpic in Barcelona to the exhibition “Surrealism Meets the Sea”, by British artist JJ Walker. The exhibition addresses issues such as the environmental crisis or the struggle against power structures and can be visited at Moll de Mestral in Port Olímpic until September 21. Studio 46 Barcelona and Bluewave Alliance are the organizers of the exhibition, which promotes public awareness of the importance of protecting seas and oceans.
Visitors will be able to enjoy a set of Walker’s works that present the sea and nature as metaphors of the human condition, with its lights and shadows, contradictions, and challenges. Always with a surrealist, humorous, and deeply human approach.
This exhibition, curated by Martin Sky, Art Manager and Head of Exhibitions and Business Development at Studio 46 Barcelona, is the first to be hosted in the Bluewave Alliance venue, which aims to become a meeting point for different awareness-raising activities in the field of marine ecosystem conservation and restoration.
In fact, the collaboration with Sky and Studio 46 Barcelona will continue with a new exhibition that will be open from November 11 to 16: “The True Blue Gold: The Veins of Planet Earth.” The collective exhibition will bring together pieces presented in Paris during the satellite event of Art Basel, with a new focus on the connection between water and life. Juliana Plexxo, Joan Barbarà, and Cory James Jacobsen will be the featured artists and will propose a poetic and visual reflection, comparing the flow of water with the blood that sustains our planet.
“Art has the unique ability to move, inspire and awaken consciences, and it is an essential vehicle for raising public awareness about the need to restore and protect our seas and oceans. For this reason, at Bluewave Alliance we incorporate art into our projects, such as the most recent, Sea Spore,” explains Juan Naya, CEO of ISDIN.
SEA SPORE AND WAVES OF TOMORROW
Bluewave Alliance brings together purpose-driven companies, institutions, sustainability entrepreneurs and the scientific community, with the aim of promoting projects to restore the beauty and health of the Mediterranean Sea. Beyond these two exhibitions, art and culture play a key role in initiatives launched by the alliance.
One example is Sea Spore, a project that merges science, art, and technology, creating spores that contribute to marine biodiversity and raise awareness about the need to preserve seas and oceans. The original work, named Sea Spore Posidonia and created by artist Lorenzo Quinn, represents a woman’s face with long wavy hair. It is currently being finalized and will be submerged off the Mediterranean coast in the coming months. On the surface, an app will offer visitors the opportunity to scan replicas of the sculptures, showing how they generate life under the sea and bringing marine science closer to people.
Other examples include the documentary series Waves of Tomorrow, which seeks to raise awareness and highlight the treasures of the Spanish Mediterranean, or the ArtMed exhibition presented in Barcelona in 2024, which also combined contemporary art and environmental activism.
