A new exhibition created in partnership with the global research organization, World Resources Institute (WRI), and artists from CalArts opens tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 27) at AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles. Blue Echo is a project that explores how art can spark conversation and inspire action around the ocean as a vital solution to the world’s climate challenges.
Drawing from WRI’s Blue Papers—a vision for a more resilient future with the ocean at its heart—CalArts artists have collaborated across disciplines, from sound and sculpture to performance and graphic design. Their works bring research into dialogue with creative practice, resulting in a chorus of perspectives unified by climate optimism.
Featured projects include:
- Ebb & Breathe by Valeria Costa (Art MFA 25), a 3D motion meditation on the ocean’s past, present, and future.
- Imagining a Seaweed Future by Valeria Costa and Ravi Deo (Music MFA 25): a guided video meditation that combines breath and music to create an internal seaweed story.
- Sea the Future by Elizabeth Whitney (Art MFA 26): a poster series integrating AR and 3D elements, that invites the viewer to explore kelp forests, the ocean as a climate solution, and sustainable fishing practices.
- The Blue Box by Vesper Ji (Art MFA 25): a curated package linked to the priorities of the WRI Blue Papers that encourages system change.
- I Made a Promise to Coral by J Carlie (Art MFA 25) and Luisa Pinzon (Music MFA 23): an interactive installation merging sensors, projections, and coral reef soundscapes.
- Sounds from Our Climate Future by Alexander Taylor (Music MFA 25), Holly Webb (Theater BFA 25), and Arushi Kejariwal (Theater MFA 27): a participatory sound experience using climate data.
- Blutopia by Kianna Ruesga (Theater BFA 25), Rachel Lertzman (Theater MFA 25), and Miles Karraa (Theater BFA 25): a fictional podcast envisioning ocean-centered futures.
- Shellphone by Helen Xie (Art MFA 25): a tactile lo-fi experience transforming a shell into a channel for connection.
- Rana Sara Maya by Navdeep Singh Galen (Music MFA 25) and collaborators: a meditative composition in three movements evoking a deep connection to our ecosystems through sound.
- Ocean Teach-In by Cat Conte-Marrero (Theater BFA 23) and Angharad Fitzgerald (Art BFA 26): a campus-wide teach-in at CalArts that brings ocean health to the forefront using WRI resources.
- Páramo Immersion by Luisa Pinzon: inspired by the Páramo ecosystem, a rare and fragile landscape found in only three countries, this immersive work balances serenity with awareness of human impact.
- Drifting Time by Ravi Deo: an audiovisual environment reflecting on kelp forests and shifting seascapes.
- The Waves We Give by Valeria Costa with collaborators: a postcard activity intended to pose questions that relate to art projects created for Blue Echo. Postcards were handed out by members of Blue Echo and placed on tables during the 2025 United Nations Ocean Decade Forum in Nice, France.
Alongside the exhibition, which is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 am-5 pm, AltaSea will also host several ticketed events, including tomorrow’s Blue Hour, which will honor chef Andrew Zimmern with the Innovation Award, presented by Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau.
Blue Hour will also feature chef demos, culinary creations, live music, and ocean-inspired food and drinks. Other upcoming ticketed events include IGNITE22 (Oct. 7), a showcase of blue economy technology with exhibits and demonstrations and Seaweed Speakeasy (Oct. 10) which combines immersive art, seaweed-forward cuisine and cocktails, and innovation showcases.
—by Tim Hammill
