This exhibit invites visitors of all ages into an underwater realm to create sea creatures in an interactive space inspired by award-winning artist, bestselling author and climate advocate Oliver Jeffers. The design draws on Jeffers’ beloved children’s book “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth” to animate a deep-blue scene that will be a draw for children and families to populate the waters with paper fish and other aquatic life.
The seascape begins, at the opening of the exhibition, as a sparse ecosystem, barren of life—similar to our oceans’ future as pollution, commercial fishing and rising water temperatures threaten sea life. In the spirit of visualizing the reversal of this impact, we invite visitors to work together to introduce new life into the scene and to create a thriving habitat, one visitor and one sea creature at a time, as an act of hopeful restoration.
Oliver Jeffers: Life at Sea is organized by the Brooklyn Museum. It is curated by Sharon Matt Atkins, Deputy Director for Art, and Keonna Hendrick, Deputy Director for Learning and Social Impact.