art for the planet
The Street art It is a great weapon of vindication, a clear example of which is the famous **Banksy phenomenon**. For this reason, Pangea Seed Foundation , a non-profit organization with headquarters in Hawaii , has promoted the 'Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans' initiative to, through the street art , raise awareness of the importance of ocean protection.
The perfect combination of ** art and activism (ARTivism) ** has given rise to a series of spectacular murals, which can be found in different parts of the world and whose purpose is to raise awareness about the current critical environmental situation.
Mural of Aaron Glasson and Celeste Byers in California
“The concept of 'Sea Walls' first emerged in 2012 when our creative director and artist, Aaron Glasson, painted a mural in a remote area of Sri Lanka that addressed the overexploitation of manta rays”, tells us Akira Biondo, co-founder of ** Pangea Seed Foundation **.
“The response from the community was overwhelmingly positive and reaffirmed our belief in art as a universal language and common ground for cultures around the world,” she notes.
It was in 2014 when the organization was established, since then the artists that have been part of the project have painted more than 350 murals in 15 countries of all the world: from remote islands in Southeast Asia to the polar bear capital Churchill, Canada , passing through cities of Mexico.
“Our last large-scale graffiti took place in Cozumel , ** Mexico **, in the spring of this year. It was the second time we had brought 'Sea Walls' to this beautiful island and it was a great honor to be asked to return by the community." Akira Biondo tells us.
Work in Churchill (Canada), the kingdom of polar bears
About twenty international artists wanted to participate during this event: Adriana Delfín (Cozumel) , **Alegría del Prado (Spain) **, Areuz (Mexico) , **Beau Stanton (United States) **, Bner (Cozumel) , Cinzah (New Zealand) , **Cracked Ink (UK) **, Draya Madú (Cozumel), Edgar Bacalao (Mexico), George Rose (Australia) ...
Together with the participants of past editions, they add up to a total of more than 250 collaborators 'Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans' from more than 40 different nationalities.
The artist Pogo painting a façade in Querétaro (Mexico)
“Through the program, we have built a global network of concerned creatives who are using their artistic talent to give voice to what cannot speak for itself. We want touch the hearts of people in an unexpected way”, explains Akira Biondo to Traveler.es.
IN DATA
The seas flow over almost three quarters of the Earth, which means 97% of the total water on the planet. Marine plants produce 70% of the oxygen we breathe and about 50% of the world's population lives on the coasts.
We could continue providing figures and reasons to justify why caring for the ocean as a theme of this wonderful initiative, but it is more than evident: it is a vital question.
“The overpopulation of the planet has created many problems such as overfishing, pollution, ocean acidification, biodiversity loss and degradation of marine habitats , among others. We are destroying the ecosystems on which our existence depends so much”, reveals the co-founder of the PangeaSeed Foundation.
Spok from Madrid left his mark in Cancun
COMING SOON...
The power of these murals of marine essence, capable of breaking cultural and linguistic barriers, It will arrive in December in Saint Croix, in the US Virgin Islands.
The works will address locally relevant environmental issues -such as damage caused by hurricane maria , which devastated the islands in 2017 -, as well as emphasizing the impacts of the global climate crisis.
'Reef Pania' by James Bullough, in New Zealand
Santa Cruz (California), Boston **(Massachusetts) , the Galapagos Islands **, Ecuador and Lower California **(Mexico) ** are other places where 'Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans' will leave its mark in 2020. “We are delighted to take our message to new corners of the world!” concludes Biondo.
Will Spain also be one of the chosen destinations in 2020?