Deep dive into the blue

Tang Linxi, 12, and her friend Yang Yunyi, 10, sit quietly before a screen, watching a documentary about industrial pollution of the oceans.

"In my dreams, the ocean is a dwelling place for living creatures, clear, boundless and free. However, when I see videos of how humans have polluted it, I feel sad for the fish and long even more to see it in person," says Linxi.

Her friend, Yunyi, nods in agreement. "I have seen streams, small rivers and lakes, but I have never seen the ocean. I imagine it stretching endlessly, powerful and free. It always fills me with longing. We should do something to protect it from pollution."

Linxi and Yunyi are among a group of elementary school students from Rongjiang county, Southwest China's Guizhou province, far away from any coastline. They are visiting Shanghai for the first time to experience The Ocean & Climate Village, an immersive and interactive science exhibition designed to help children understand the ocean and the environmental challenges it faces.

Throughout their stay, the students will learn marine science through hands-on workshops tailored for children ages 6 to 16. They will explore the diversity of marine life, study the threats of pollution and rising sea levels, and participate in activities that blend art and science.

Among the activities are storytelling through the eyes of endangered creatures and traditional Chinese rock-color painting, a technique rooted in ancient mural traditions, used here to visualize the harmony between nature and art.

The exhibition and the activities are part of Sea Beyond, an educational program aimed at raising awareness of sustainability and ocean preservation, contributing to the progress of ocean education on a global scale through a series of training initiatives for younger generations, developed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and the Italian Prada Group.

From Friday to Oct 19, visitors are welcome to Prada Rong Zhai, a historical residence on North Shaanxi Road, to explore the stories of the ocean.

Journey of discovery

When Miuccia Prada first visited Shanghai in 2011, she was captivated by the four-story residence's Roman columns, stained-glass windows, orange dome and lush garden. Built in 1918, the villa was lovingly restored by an Italy-China team led by architect Roberto Baciocchi, a six-year effort that revived its elegance.

As a cultural landmark of Prada in China, Rong Zhai stands not only as a masterpiece of architectural artistry but also as a site of creative expression.

Visitors are invited to embark on a journey to discover the sea and its ecosystems, as well as the urgent challenges it faces.

The experience will unfold across several rooms, each shaped by Rong Zhai's distinctive stylistic identity. The original spaces — featuring works of art and antique objects — will serve as an evocative backdrop for immersive narratives dedicated to humanity's relationship with the ocean.

After its debut in Milan in 2019, the exhibition traveled to Venice and Naples and launched in China's coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province, in 2023. Shanghai is its second stop in China.

In Shanghai, the display invites audiences to explore the ocean's role in regulating Earth's climate through themed areas, covering marine biodiversity, climate science, ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and the impacts of human activity. Interactive tools like infographics, photos and tactile installations will bring these urgent issues to life.

One installation, Up Sea Down, shows how global warming has expanded the volume of the ocean, and how this trend may continue, on a timeline from 1940 to 2100, while Feel the Change lets visitors touch models of marine ecosystems in both natural and acidified states.

The exhibition's local adaptation was supported by the First Institute of Oceanography, China's Ministry of Natural Resources, and the UN Decade Collaborative Centre on the Ocean-Climate Nexus and Coordination Amongst Decade Implementing Partners in China.

"The strength of this exhibition lies in how it connects the global and the local," says Francesca Santoro, senior program officer of IOC-UNESCO.

"It reminds us that there is only one ocean that unites us all — without borders, sustaining life on Earth. At the same time, it celebrates the unique ecosystems of every place it visits. Here in Shanghai, we highlight the richness of China's seas, from vibrant mangroves to the world's deepest blue hole. By connecting people to their own coastal heritage, we inspire them to become stewards of our shared ocean.

"For its second stop in China, we're expanding our reach by inviting elementary school students from inland provinces like Guizhou, many of whom have never seen the sea before. We aim to provide these children with an understanding of the relationship between the ocean, the climate and human activity, and how each one influences the other. Through hands-on experiences that blend science and art, The Ocean & Climate Village connects the dots between the health of marine ecosystems and the environment as a whole."

On the fourth floor, a photography gallery offers a visual meditation on this theme.

Emmy-nominated environmental photographer and climate artist Enzo Barracco presents images from his expeditions to Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii and Alaska. His stark yet luminous shots reveal the fragility of marine environments under climate stress.

"Photography doesn't need translation," Barracco often says. His works speak directly across cultures and generations, urging viewers to see what words alone cannot convey.

The exhibition also includes documentaries recounting projects supported by Sea Beyond.

Kindergarten of the Lagoon tells the story of preschool children across the Venetian Lagoon who've had the chance to understand and love their local ecosystem through outdoor education.

Deep White Forests recounts the scientific research that led marine biologist Giovanni Chimienti to discover black coral in the waters of the Egadi Islands in Sicily, Italy.

Reaching out

Sea Beyond will distribute marine science culture kits to schools in Guizhou province.

The kit contains a booklet that introduces the wonders of the ocean — its currents, its biodiversity at depth, and its role in the climate system — and sparks curiosity through engaging questions, marine-themed art materials and illustrations, as well as cut-out figures of aquatic organisms to visualize where these species live.

Teachers will be provided with tailored materials and guidance to deliver ocean-focused lessons in their classrooms, bringing the spirit of conservation to inland areas through art, sowing the seeds of marine culture and environmental awareness.

"When the children learned that they could go to Shanghai, they were thrilled, and their eyes shone with anticipation. This trip enables the children of Rongjiang to step out of the mountains and experience the educational resources of a first-tier city, planting in their hearts the seeds of dreams," says teacher Zhang Weilan, who is accompanying the students.

"Most of these kids seldom travel outside Guizhou. Their understanding of Shanghai and the ocean mainly comes from textbooks, television and the internet. This visit is a brand-new experience for them, giving them a real sense of knowledge related to the ocean."

Lorenzo Bertelli, head of corporate social responsibility at Prada Group, says: "We are delighted to host Sea Beyond at Prada Rong Zhai, where we bring together art and science to inspire a deeper connection with the ocean, with the ultimate goal of spreading knowledge and transforming it into action."

Bertelli, son of Miuccia Prada and the group's next-generation leader, initiated Sea Beyond in 2019. That year, the company launched the Prada Re-Nylon project, a collection with regenerated nylon recycled from plastics collected worldwide from landfills, textile fiber waste and the ocean. Following that, they decided to develop an educational project focused on the ocean, from which part of the plastic used to produce the Re-Nylon fabric is recovered.

Since then, Sea Beyond has shared the principles of ocean education with more than 35,000 students worldwide. Its scope has expanded to support scientific research, community engagement, and policy advocacy for the ocean.

In January, they launched the Sea Beyond Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Connecting People and Ocean to mobilize financial resources to support projects that integrate ocean science, education and communication.

Bertelli says: "Our commitment, through initiatives like Sea Beyond, is to spread the culture of sustainability among younger generations. For me, the focus on sustainability is a mission that brings together personal values and professional responsibilities.

"Sustainability is not a cost but a value. It means giving things the right importance and making choices with awareness and transparency. Consumers must be able to trust brands, and that trust is earned only when companies act responsibly and communicate clearly and accessibly."

China Daily