Living with the Ocean – traveling exhibition is coming to campus Alta

We are surrounded by the ocean, and we are made of water. Living with the Ocean is a travelling exhibition that challenges audiences around the world with pictures and thought-provoking, sometimes humorous, questions about the past, present and future of coastal cultures. Through five main themes – myths, challenges, technology, food and relationships – the exhibition explores how the ocean shapes our lives and serves as a metaphor for the challenges and opportunities facing Earth today. 

Campus Alta is currently setting up five cubes on campus, outdoors and indoors, with 20 canvases featuring images and questions that connect our lives to the ocean. 

Launched in Europe in 2024, it has travelled to three continents, including the American Arctic, and it fosters collaboration between the arts and the sciences, encouraging communities to rethink their relationship with water. 

The exhibition “Living with the Ocean” has come about through collaboration between researchers and contributors at UiT The Arctic University of Norway and a number of partners outside the university. Building on this experience, the concept Research to the people has gradually spread in several directions, and a number of poster exhibitions have been shown in different forms and in different places. 

Everyone is welcome to come and look, reflect, talk and discuss – whether you are a researcher, a curious passerby, or someone exploring ocean-connected careers. The aim is to spark reflection and invite dialogue. 

The official opening will take place on 3 November. Do you have an idea for what or who should be part of the opening? Send your suggestions to archum@uit.no. 

The project is curated by UiT's Centre for Arctic Humanities (ArcHum).