Ocean Virtual Art Residency
The Ocean Virtual Art Residency program, in collaboration with MANGO, empowers artists to embark on a journey of developing new projects centered around the residency's thematic focus: OCEAN. This residency aims to provide dedicated time and space for artists interested in ocean science, whether emerging or established, and to cultivate a collaborative community where like-minded artists can connect and create together.
The OVAR residency creates a welcoming, empowering, and challenging virtual space for artists. Over 5 weeks, participants met weekly to discuss ideas, critique concepts, and share resources and knowledge, fostering mutual support and project enhancement.
We are thrilled to showcase the projects developed by each artist during the residency. Through the power of art and the brilliance of these artists, prepare to be transported, inspired, and spurred to ignite your passion for our Ocean and their future.
Why a map?
We intentionally chose to present the participating artists using a map format. This decision was driven by our desire to visually highlight the global interconnectedness symbolized by our oceans. By mapping the artists, we aim to emphasize how, regardless of location, we all share a deep love and concern for our planet's waters. This spatial representation underscores our planet's interconnectedness and the collective efforts of artists to draw inspiration from the ocean and, through their work, inspire others.
Ocean Virtual Exhibition
We recommend viewing the map on a desktop. If you would like to see the map bigger, just click on the top right square. Every artist is placed on the map with a colored marker. When you click on the marker, you will see a window to the left of your screen with the name of the artist, their piece, the artist’s statement about their work, and a link to their website. Please click on the images so you can see the full image or video. If the artist has several pieces in the exhibition, you can scroll through them using the arrows.
Participating Artists
Richard Vivenzio
Richard Vivenzio is an inter-disciplinary artist formerly based in Brooklyn NY, who has recently relocated to Los Angeles, CA. Through sculpture and installation, Vivenzio’s work explores interior and exterior space through tangible and perceived intervention. Using everyday materials along with light, shadow, and gravity, his compositions draw visual conclusions to how the unseen affects perception, exemplified by the intangible materials being as important as the physical. Using this concept, Vivenzio has shed light upon the effects of climate change and the ramifications of metastatic pollution and consumerism, while striving to create the work sustainably.
Vivenzio’s work aims to intrigue the viewer with its aesthetic, then capture their attention within the recontextualization of everyday materials in non-everyday environments. Once captivated by the external elements, their focus can shift to the work’s intent—to reflect on our impact on nature and how small, mindful adjustments can lead to further introspection and meaningful, actionable change.
Vivenzio received an MFA in Fine Art from The School of Visual Art (SVA) in 2016. In 2024, Vivenzio spent much time in Costa Rica, working with the PI Organization and Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel Punta Islita, to create a permanent public art installation and workshops series at Museo Islita, fostering a relationship between the local arts community and abroad.
In recent years, Vivenzio has shown at The New House Center of Contemporary Art NY, Las Cruces Gallery at the Southwest Environmental Center NM, Rockefeller Center NY (in collaboration with The Climate Museum and The United Nations Environmental Program), and The C. Rockefeller Center in Dresden, DE. Additionally, Vivenzio has been included in fairs—PI Art Festival, Pulse Art Fair-Projects, Flux Art Fair—and has been published in La Nacion, Hyperallergic, Artnet, and Time Out Magazine.
www.richardvivenzio.com
Van G. Garrett
The author of thirteen books, Van G. Garrett’s debut picture book, Kicks, an ode to the flyest shoes and those who wear them, was published in 2022 (Versify/HarperCollins). His second picture book, Juneteenth, was also published by Versify/HarperCollins in 2023. Van’s updates and appearances can be found at www.vanggarrettpoet.com.
Aloïs Aguettant
Aloïs Aguettant is a marine social science researcher-to-be. Currently doing her PhD in Human Geography at the University of Milano-Bicocca and based in Sicily, she is is part of a research project investigating the human dimensions of the conservation of Marine Biodiversity in the Mediterranean (MEDiverSEAty). Her interdisciplinary research specifically looks at the gender dynamics of fishing communities - tying together notions of care and equity in marine spaces. She experiments with participative photography and mixed-creative methods as a way of collecting scientific data.
https://mediverseaty.eu/
Leila Hernandez
I am Leila Hernández, MFA, and artist and educator in the Art Department at South Texas College, originally from El Salvador. My practice spans oil pastels, watercolor, and mixed-media textiles made from recycled clothing sourced from thrift stores and pulgas, reflecting my commitment to sustainability and the lived histories held within the materials, My work often explores cycles of transformation, interconnectedness and migration. Drawing from culture, symbolism, and nature to consider harmony and change.
During the OCEAN IV Visual Art Residency, my focus centered on the decline of whale songs—a resonant symbol of silence, loss, and ecological fragility. I studied the blue and humpback whales, translating their vocal patterns into visual form through dry pastel and fluorescent materials Using organic, concentric waveforms, I sought to echo the way sound travels through the ocean, capturing voices now fading due to global warming and overfishing. This work reflects on our shared responsibility to these majestic mammals and the urgency of protecting what may soon fall silent forever.
Van G. Garrett
The author of thirteen books, Van G. Garrett’s debut picture book, Kicks, an ode to the flyest shoes and those who wear them, was published in 2022 (Versify/HarperCollins). His second picture book, Juneteenth, was also published by Versify/HarperCollins in 2023. Van’s updates and appearances can be found at www.vanggarrettpoet.com.