As we grapple with the harsh realities of the climate crises, the rising seas serve as a tangible warning of a system under stress. Since 1880, global average sea levels have risen by 8-9 inches (21-24 cm) as a direct consequence of melting glaciers and expanding warmer waters due to manmade climate change. All across the world's oceans, coral bleaching events are increasing in frequency, devastating marine biodiversity. Ocean ecosystems — home to more than 80% of life on Earth — are now more fragile than ever. In this context, the Festival of Ideas in Delhi, themed 'We Are the Ocean', arrives as both a celebration and a clarion call for marine conservation.
Organised by the French Institute in India, in partnership with the Alliance Française network and other ecological and cultural institutions like the French Development Agency, Mongabay India, and the Environmentalist Foundation of India, the festival runs through May 25, 2025, at Alliance Française de Delhi. It offers an immersive, multidisciplinary experience designed to deepen public understanding of the ocean's role in planetary health and the urgent need for marine conservation.
At the core of the festival is a major art exhibition at the Romain Rolland Gallery, introduced by an immersive wave-like installation that signals the plunge into the festival's ocean-centric theme. Divided into ten sections, the show navigates the environmental, emotional, and cultural significance of the sea through photographs, video projections, soundscapes, and VR experiences. Marquee features like Tidal Echoes by Nicolas Michel, and Floating Cities by Elsa Mroziewicz and Cécile Palusinski explore the impact of rising seas on both ecosystems and communities; while Samuel Bollendorf's The Mermaid Tears contrasts scenic shorelines with microplastic contamination, and The Plankton Ballet, filmed aboard the research vessel Tara, offers a close-up look at the invisible marine organisms that sustain life in the ocean.
The festival also serves as a platform for critical conversation. Nine panel discussions, curated by the Dakshin Foundation and held across Delhi, Goa, Chennai, and Pondicherry, tackle issues like blue economies, climate justice, and coastal livelihoods. These sessions spotlight the voices of fishing communities, activists, and researchers, stressing the need for policies rooted in local realities and global solidarity. The festival's film program complements these conversations with screenings of documentaries like Against the Tide and The Turtle Walker, which follows Indian conservationist Satish Bhaskar's coastal expeditions. At the same time, curated activities like poetry workshops, upcycling sessions by SilaiWali, and games like The Ocean Collage allow audiences to engage with conservation as an everyday practice.
As climate threats intensify, We Are the Ocean serves as both a mirror and a call to action — inviting us to reflect on our relationship with the sea and to imagine new ways of protecting it. By bringing together science, art, and activism, the festival underscores an uncomfortable but urgent truth: the future of the ocean is inseparable from our own.
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