Sea Signals

Sea Signals is a collaborative public art initiative presented by Flare Ōtautahi Street Art Festival, Watch This Space, and PangeaSeed. Through ocean-themed murals and public programming, the project explores how marine science, cultural knowledge, and creativity can connect people more deeply to the ocean.

At the heart of the project is a collaborative model pairing artists with scientists and researchers to interpret locally relevant marine and climate research through creative practice. Rather than illustrating science literally, artists translate insights into visual language using their own approaches, spanning realism, abstraction, symbolism, and data-informed design. The goal is authentic engagement that makes complex ideas more approachable while retaining the integrity of the science.

Ōtautahi’s unique geographic and cultural context grounds the project, from its role as a gateway to Antarctica, to the interconnected systems of rivers, wetlands, coastlines, and urban environments, and long-standing Māori and Pacific relationships with the ocean.