Under the Sea
Moku proudly presents first annual exhibition Under the Sea. This exhibition showcases artists who are passionate about the ocean and its future. If you are an artist who is concerned and in love with our oceans, their ecosystems, and the magical beauty that exists underneath the waves, then we invite you to apply.
We are proud to announce that our Under the Sea exhibition has been endorsed as an Ocean Decade activity. This means that our virtual exhibition will be shared on the Ocean Decade Network, allowing the wonderful work created by the artists to reach a wider audience.
"This publication is endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development as a Decade Activity. Use of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development logo by a non-UN entity does not imply the endorsement of the United Nations of such entity, its products or services, or of its planned activities. For more information please access: https://forum.oceandecade.org/page/disclaimer"
THEME
Under the Sea is an international online exhibition open to all artists working in new media, video, digital, and photography. We are looking for works by artists that exemplify the themes of ocean conservation, ocean sustainability, ocean protection, ocean education, and the deep sea.
ELIGIBILITY
This call is open to artists over the age of 18, worldwide.
Artwork created under the supervision of an instructor is not eligible and must be original to the submitting artist.
Images that infringe upon another’s copyright will be disqualified. AI-generated or assisted artwork is not eligible.
Submitted work must have been executed in the last 3 years.
FORMAT
Selected artists will have their artwork displayed on a virtual map with a pin representing their city. This virtual exhibition seeks to show the public the wide range of participating artists across the world and the importance of our oceans. The spirit of this project is based on collaboration and we hope to foster a community of like-minded people.
Katharine Owens, Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle
DEADLINE
The deadline for submission is Wednesday, April 30th, 11:59 p.m.
Note that this deadline will not be extended.
Entry fee $25
Make your payment via PayPal. If you have any questions, please email us at mokuartstudio@gmail.com. For special cases, Western Union can be used.
SELECTED WORK
The Selection Committee will choose the artworks for the exhibit, focusing on the categories aligned by the Ocean Decade Challenge 10. Our invited judges will then select their top 3 pieces that best exemplify the criteria:
Connecting people and the ocean
A call to action
Restores the viewer’s relationship with the ocean
HOW TO ENTER
-Up to 5 images of your work.
-File name format: Artist name – Title of artwork ( ex. John Smith – UndertheSea)
Image Requirements:
File Size: Max 5MB
Format: jpg, jpeg, png, mp4 only
Ensure professional presentation; including proper cropping, no mockups, frames, or watermarks.
-Info for each work in the following format: Your Name, Artwork Title, Medium, Dimensions, Date
-No zip folders or Google drives
- Must include an artist statement related to your submitted piece. The artist statement should include how is your work related to one of the themes (conservation, education, protection, etc.), what your audience should take away from your work, and any relevant information regarding your work.
Artemis Evlogimenou, Mami Wata
Irene Middleton, Reflections
The Judges
Dr. Sarah McAnulty is a squid biologist and science communicator. She is currently the executive director of Skype a Scientist, a non-profit that connects thousands of classrooms to scientists every year. She and her team bring science to people via personal connections and public art in Philadelphia.
Dr. McAnulty is a prolific science communicator, with an active presence on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and Tiktok, and on street corners across the USA.
Dr Helen Scales is a marine biologist, writer and broadcaster. She is author of many books about the ocean.
She is a regular writer for National Geographic Magazine and the Guardian where she writes a long-standing series on ocean discoveries. She teaches at Cambridge University and is a storytelling ambassador for the Save Our Seas Foundation.
Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger completed both a Master of Fine Art and of Contemporary Art at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney.
Her research interests lay in the areas surrounding the Anthropocene and the human impact on remote and isolated environments. Lea’s medium of choice are varied, embracing painting, drawing, video, sound, and installation, along with elements of Bio-art and Land-art in her environmental examinations and art practice.
Lea has exhibited globally, including 6 solo exhibitions specifically surrounding her 2017 research trip to Antarctica. Globally, Lea has spoken extensively about her research at conferences; she has also been published in research papers and a book.
Dr Thom Linley is a fish curator at The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. He specialises in deep-sea fishes and wants to communicate the deep sea as it really is, on its own terms and with the right context. He co-hosts The Deep-Sea Podcast to give people accurate information and personal connection to the deep ocean. He recognises the power of art as a communication tool and values the insight artists bring to his area of research.
Jason deCaires Taylor MRSS, born in 1974 to an English father and a Guyanese mother, is a sculptor, environmentalist, and professional underwater photographer.
His permanent site-specific sculptural works are predominately exhibited in submerged and tidal marine environments, exploring modern themes of conservation and environmental activism.
Dr Alan Jamieson has a PhD in Zoology, having submitted a thesis on Autonomous lander technology for biological research at midwater, abyssal and hadal depths. His research has made him a world leader in the biological exploration of the hadal zone (depths exceeding 6000 metres). He has designed multiple Hadal-Landers and has deployed them over 500 times in the ultra-deep subduction trenches of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding areas.
“People protect what they love, they love what they understand and they understand what they are taught.”
Not sure if you should participate? Let us convince you otherwise
The ocean is home to a wealth of biodiversity and every organism plays a critical role.
There are incredible ocean creatures, some of which produce their own light.
The ocean plays an important role in carbon storage, it holds 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere.
The ocean regulates the planet’s temperature.
This exhibition welcomes your creative expression. Participating in Under the Sea allows you to challenge yourself creatively. Exploring the theme can push the boundaries of your artistic practice and lead to personal growth while also creating work with an impact. We encourage you to participate, even if this is the first time you’ve thought about or read about ocean conservation!
Artist Testimonials
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By submitting images of artwork to this online gallery, the artist agrees that the images are their own original work of which they own all rights. The submitting artist takes full responsibility for the content of all images, including the likeness of recognizable individuals. All artwork remains the property of the artist.
Accepted artists grant Moku Art Studio the right to reproduce images on their website and social media where appropriate for promotional purposes only. The artist agrees to allow Moku Art Studio to archive chosen artwork as part of the exhibition. This will be available for public viewing on our website. Moku Art Studio will always credit the artist. Moku Art Studio will not use an artist's images for any other purpose without the artist's permission.
By entering this exhibition, the entrant is agreeing to abide by all terms and conditions listed within this prospectus. This is not a game of chance. Void where prohibited by law.