Aquatopia : Imaginary of the Ocean Deep

Examines the original and fascinating journey of discovery into the influence of the ocean in cultural history. Includes work by a wide range of artists and writers and accompanies a UK touring exhibition.

It occupies 72% of the surface of our planet, yet the depths of our oceans are less known to us than the Solar System: 90% remains unexplored. The deep, like outer space, has been a locus for science fiction since Jules Verne, with both the ocean and space giving rise to imaginary aliens, mutants and monsters. But there is one crucial distinction: the ocean and our species belong to the same planet, and by extension the deep is a part of us. Aquatopia is a transhistorical, transcultural voyage through the oceanic imaginary via contemporary and historical art works and objects which cross continents, centuries, schools and movements. Aquatic literary classics like The Odyssey, The Tempest, The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, Moby Dick and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea recur in this exploration, sometimes filtered through their modern and contemporary prodigy, e.g. Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea and Derek Walcott's Omeros. Other, non-fictional texts by writers such as Philip Hoare and Marina Warner also guide the way. The publication will be a cross-disciplinary exploration of the aquatic imaginary, encompassing literature, maritime and cultural history, psychoanalysis, post-colonial and feminist theory, and including work by artists as diverse as J.M.W. Turner, Carol Bove, Marcel Broodthaers, Spartacus Chetwynd, Peter Doig, Rene Magritte, Eric Ravillious and Juergen Teller.