{"id":631813,"date":"2026-10-15T22:28:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T22:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/631813\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T22:28:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T22:28:14","slug":"we-are-all-marine-animals-we-just-forgot-enzo-barracco-on-oceans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/631813\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018we are all marine animals, we just forgot\u2019 enzo barracco on oceans"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEa beyond, unesco ioc, and the Ocean&Climate Village in Cagliari<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

In October, the Luna Rossa base in Cagliari, Italy, becomes the site of the latest edition of the Ocean&Climate Village, a traveling exhibition on the impacts of climate change on our oceans. Amid the fast-cruising boats and futuristic training centers of the Prada Group\u2019s sailing syndicate, which looks out onto the vast blue seas of Cagliari, young kids from the city get hands-on with coral structures, learn how fish breathe underwater, and gaze at pictures of the Gal\u00e1pagos. Supported by the Prada Group as part of the SEA BEYOND project and developed by UNESCO\u2019s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the dynamic exhibition, designed by Formafantasma, promotes knowledge as a way to combat climate change.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Emmy-nominated photographer\u2014and a noted SEA BEYONDer (the name given to ambassadors of the project)\u2014Enzo Barracco, in conversation with designboom, speaks about the photographic project he contributed to the Ocean&Climate Village, his experience photographing the Arctic Circle, and his hopes for our climate future.<\/p>\n

\"\u2018we| all images courtesy of the Prada Group unless stated otherwise\"\u2018weinside the Ocean&Climate Village at the Luna Rossa base in Cagliari, Italy, 2026<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

An exhibition at the Luna Rossa base<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Cagliari, right where the city meets the water, a building with a bright red stripe and the words \u2018LUNA ROSSA\u2019 leads visitors to the complex. Inside, after passing huge, tented structures that house the sailing team\u2019s equipment, a mirrored exhibition space comes into view. This is the Ocean&Climate Village, reflecting the harbor bordering Cagliari. Here, photographs of ocean waves, sea creatures, and sunsets speak in dialogue with the expansive sea just steps away. Barracco<\/a>\u2014whose previous books include The Blue on Fire: Hawai\u2018I and The Noise of Ice | Antarctica\u2014created the outdoor exhibition with images he captured in the Gal\u00e1pagos and Hawaii.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Barracco begins by touching on one of his defining projects, The Noise of Ice | Antarctica. After learning about Sir Ernest Shackleton\u2019s expeditions to Antarctica in the early 20th century, he embarked on his own journey to capture its vast and distinctive landscape. \u2018I used to say \u201cnothing can surprise me anymore\u201d because [the Antarctic] was such a majestic and powerful place. But nature always has the capacity to surprise you if you pay attention and understand the timing of nature with respect.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"\u2018wexx<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Developing the exhibition alongside Prada and SEA BEYOND<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over the course of a year, Barracco made multiple trips to Hawaii to capture its oceans throughout the four seasons. \u2018If I go in the summer, I see just one thing,\u2019 he says of the project\u2019s duration. \u2018I wanted to be very honest and to show a good representation of winter, summer, and all the seasons with its different animals.\u2019 He goes on to talk about freediving in the colder months and the forces of the ocean during that period: \u2018The power of a wave is unstoppable. It looks beautiful and very fluid but actually, when you have impact with it, it\u2019s surprisingly solid.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"\u2018wexx<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to photograph among the sharks<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many of Barracco\u2019s images are underwater or at least partially submerged. As both an experienced freediver and a commercial photographer, he marries these two approaches to create this series. \u2018You don\u2019t prepare anything,\u2019 he says of capturing the world below the water. \u2018You work in symbiosis with nature and you need to understand what nature allows you to take a photo of. Things are unpredictable\u2026 everything happening is much bigger than you.\u2019 On the technical side, he mentions that he\u2019s \u2018not a big fan of bringing a lot of equipment because it changes the approach. You need to be very light, very agile, and very practical.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the Pacific Ocean, Barracco trades models for sharks and other sea creatures. Reflecting on photographing wildlife, he points out that the Arctic polar bear is very much a predator, but \u2018the shark is a misunderstood creature. It\u2019s so refined incredible, beautiful. This animal is in the ocean for millions and millions of years so we are truly their guests true. We are guests of the ocean.\u2019 Getting up close and personal to photograph them, Barracco comments, \u2018I approach diving with the shark by asking for permission first.\u2019 He says he proceeds with taking the image only once the sharks \u2018allowed [him] to be there\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although the numbers behind climate change\u2014rising temperatures, sea levels, and carbon content\u2014are undeniable, they still require effective communication. \u2018I always say you don\u2019t need the translation for photography,\u2019 says Barracco on the impact he hopes his work will have. \u2018I hope my work can surprise, bring curiosity, and get us to fall in love again with the ocean. We are all marine animals we just forgot!\u2019<\/p>\n

\"\u2018wexx\"\u2018wexx<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SEa beyond, unesco ioc, and the Ocean&Climate Village in Cagliari \u00a0 In October, the Luna Rossa base in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":631814,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[32436,442,498,499,500,390,501,156,111,139,69,5296,19313,33631],"class_list":["post-631813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-architecture-in-italy","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-climate-change","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-photography","tag-prada","tag-unesco"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=631813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/631814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=631813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=631813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=631813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}