It’s a wrap on the Sea Walls Project that took over Cape Town recently, and the results are a lasting legacy that will hopefully ‘sea’ great change. Have a look:
Cape Town, South Africa (29 November 2023) — The inaugural Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans public art project in Africa has left a lasting legacy for ocean conservation and community activism in Cape Town!
With a buzz of excitement earlier this month, PangeaSeed Foundation’s Sea Walls South Africa as presented by the Save our Seas Foundation began. The project united mural artists across South Africa and the world to spruce up the walls of 16 buildings in Cape Town for the betterment of the seas close by and far beyond.
The Process
Together,18 mural artists (four from overseas) adorned the walls with powerful works on important ocean topics—from the scourge of plastic pollution to the need for community action to protect ocean livelihoods.
Overseas artists DULK from Spain; Germany’s Yeye Weller; Cracked Ink from New Zealand, and US street artist Lauren YS joined top South African artists Amy Lee Tak, Aweh Migo, Breeze Yoko, Care One, DBongz, Sergical One, Dirty Native, Marie-Louise Koen, Marti Macfly, Motel Seven, SonnySundancer and These10Fingers for the Cape Town activation.
Over the last week, armed with acrylic and spray paints, swing stages or cherry picker cranes, the artists added 18 works to PangeaSeed’s network of more than 500 murals in 19 countries. They worked across a wide area of the Cape Peninsula, including Gardens, Kalk Bay, Newlands, Muizenberg, Sea Point, Camps Bay, Cape Town CBD, and Salt River.
Beyond the Paint
In the lead-up to a week of painting, the artists and visiting team were treated to some of the natural treasures the Cape has to offer and got to be part of keeping these treasures in their best condition. This included a visit to the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Centre, swimming in tidal pools, surfing with the Sentinel Ocean Alliance, and a beach cleanup at Muizenberg with the Beach Co-op.
In addition to the interactions with the city for the team, a number of free-to-the-public events included a youth outreach at a local school, a coastal cleanup, and self-guided driving tours to the murals. The public offering culminated in a free community event that featured short film screenings and a panel discussion about the value of art in communicating science and how important this is to the environmental movement.
The co-founders of Pangeaseed, Tré Packard and Akira Biondo, said they were blown away by the natural beauty of the city and the warm welcome of her people.
“This has been a deeply profound experience. We just want to extend a huge word of thanks to the people of Cape Town. Art enthusiasts, ocean stewards, and lovers of the City of Cape Town all showed great support for this initiative and their involvement has been so appreciated. Also, a massive thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this one of the most memorable Sea Walls yet!”
Why Sea Walls?
For the Pangeaseed Foundation, a drop of paint can create an ocean of change.
As such, the murals are designed to be purpose-driven and educational to inspire ocean stewardship through creativity and visual storytelling. Each artwork draws on locally relevant features or issues, as well as historical legacy, or other challenges facing communities.
CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation James Lea said: “Striking art can connect with people in a way that science often struggles with, which is why we’re delighted to collaborate again with Sea Walls and Wavescape to present a stunning array of murals across Cape Town that highlight the majesty of our oceans. Through fostering peoples’ connection with nature, we strive to promote ocean stewards who can help advocate for the health of our oceans.”
Of the freshly painted sea walls, Shani Judes, Project Director of Sea Walls South Africa shared:
“These walls have a lifespan of up to seven years, and will serve as a constant reminder to Capetonians and visitors to the Cape of the interconnectedness of all life on our planet, the importance of collaboration in these difficult times, and the vital role of the oceans in sustaining life on Earth.”
You can find a map to visit the Sea Walls here.
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