Curator

Diana von Hohenthal und Bergen

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The fourth edition of the Artivism Awards unfolds as a tripartite structure.

A ten-day maritime passage aboard the sailing yacht Kyalami forms the project’s point of departure — an initial field of observation that informs the works and their relation to the sea. Developed in dialogue with Kurt Arrigo, scientists from the University of Malta, the arts patron Frits Cornelis Thieme, and the Can 7 residency, this first movement brings together scientific study, photographic practice, and artistic enquiry.

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The Exhibition

From June 5 to 28, the exhibition constitutes the second movement of the project.

The works engage the ocean through material, process, and consequence. Within this structure, three chapters emerge:

— Scientific
— Militant
— Contemplative

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Scientific Practices

The scientific chapter unfolds through practices grounded in observation and research.

Kurt Arrigo presents underwater photographic works developed in direct proximity to marine ecosystems.

Joanna Adams presents a video work initiated in the early 1990s and developed through more than a decade of research in dialogue with scientific communities, including Stanford University and the Natural History Museum. A dystopian oceanic landscape emerges, structured through accumulated knowledge.

Vera van Leeuwen works between historical research and photography, exploring the layered relationship between human presence, mythological memory, and landscape. Her series Calypso 2026 AD emerges from a long engagement with Malta and Gozo, territories whose prehistoric and mythological past remains inseparable from the surrounding sea.

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Militant Practices

The militant chapter confronts the consequences of human activity.

Dodi Reifenberg, a pioneer of environmentally engaged practices since the 1990s, presents Deep, constructed from ocean-collected plastic waste. The work retains the material of heavily polluted regions, assembling fragments into dense surfaces where contamination becomes image.

Lill M R Hansen installs a structure addressing the reciprocal strain between human systems and marine environments. During the opening, visitors are guided into her Kammer, encountering a fragment of this condition directly.

Sarah Olson continues Rise All Boats, developed over more than a decade, where natural and non-harmful pigments are placed within tidal zones and transformed by the action of the sea across recycled linens. Her practice unfolds between performance, environmental action and material transformation.

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Contemplative Practices

The contemplative chapter operates at a different tempo.

Alexandra Mas presents Mystic Waters, a short film accompanied by suspended drawings constructed through accumulation, forming dense surfaces that recall coral structures and fragile ecosystems.

Lavenair introduces a moment of stillness through analogue photography, returning to the Mediterranean as a generative matrix.

Marcy Axelrod develops sculptural works exploring transparency, suspended movement and emotional resonance through layered acrylic forms suggestive of drifting marine organisms.

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Beyond the Exhibition

The final movement extends beyond the exhibition space itself and defines the project’s long-term engagement.

All proceeds from the limited editions by Kurt Arrigo are dedicated entirely to the One Ocean Foundation and its seagrass restoration initiatives.

All other participating artists contribute 25% of their proceeds to marine research developed in dialogue with Heritage Malta’s Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit. This structure remains embedded within the curatorial framework and is activated at both the opening and closing of the exhibition, establishing a direct relationship between artistic production and marine research while contributing to a more integrated understanding of underwater environments and their preservation.