Undercurrent

Join us at Undercurrent for an immersive experience in the depths of the ocean to learn about what’s populating its sandy floors- tonnes of plastic. At our event, you’ll have the opportunity to become an artist as you help create our beautiful community murals using waste materials while learning about how our everyday plastic use is endangering marine life.

Visit Undercurrent on 16 December 2022 at 1:30pm in -1.07 Inigo Room, Somerset House East Wing.

Why Undercurrent?

Immerse into the deep blue with us at Undercurrent to discover the disturbing realities of the oceans that we admire from the surface. You will walk through an exhibition with waves shimmering across the room as if you are submerged in the Atlantic, exploring the plastic waste crisis plaguing our seas.

Amidst the waves, you will spot the wall-mounted, dark silhouettes of beautiful marine species endangered by the plastic products we discard everyday. Head over to these animal murals to read more about how each species- the zooplankton, the sea lion, and the sea turtle- is uniquely impacted by our plastic waste, from polyester clothing to packaging tape. Beneath each silhouette, you will find a variety of cleaned, discarded waste items- all of which directly impact the corresponding animal species above. Follow the instructions to attach the items to the animal to create a thought-provoking community mural that signifies the impact of our daily choices on each marine species. In the creation of this mural, you will help raise awareness about marine pollution amongst youth- your work will be donated to a school to inspire and educate young students about their future duties as citizens of the world.

Finally, arrive at our full-sized, uber Instagrammable mirror to document your experience amongst the waves! Invite your friends and family to create a lasting memory of learning, creativity, and fun.

We at Undercurrent urge you to experience our exhibition by critically reflecting upon your own consumption habits- what about your share of plastic waste flowing through the ocean undercurrent and into endangered life? What can you do to minimize it?

How and why was Undercurrent created?

The Undercurrent team is peppered with animal lovers- when planning this event, we knew that our passion lay in protecting the Earth’s ecosystems and their life. A simple Google search led us to an article by The Guardian with findings that shocked us- the plastic polluting our rivers and seas has spread to the previously pristine waters in The Arctic. And despite the recent findings, this infiltration is estimated to have occurred a decade ago. Plastic is now everywhere- from the air we breathe to the waters marine life swims in. We believe the havoc this could wreak is alarming- and future generations are the only ones that can take the initiative to reverse this. The bodies of marine animals are so littered with plastics that they may well be made of it- this inspired our idea to create community murals of the threatened animals using the very materials that are beginning to litter their bodies. We wanted this symbolic artwork to continue a life after this exhibition rather than ending up at the bottom of the sea- we decided that its best use is to educate future generations and our successors about this crisis.

Undercurrent Team Members

Miles (Producer)
Xuanzhu Hu [Selina] (Curator and Venue Liaison)
Amiya Johar (Media Officer and External Liasons Officer)
Qianyi Xiang [Shantie] (Graphic Designer and Photographer)
Wenhui Xue（Graphic Designer)
Chak Lan Audree Li (Treasurer)
Andreea Vicol (Social Media Manager)
Laetitia Khoury (Graphic Designer)