Art Basel and Parley for the Oceans have announced a partnership and launch ‘Art for the Oceans’, a global fundraising initiative to protect Oceans, Climate and Life against plastic pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss. Art Basel Miami Beach 2023 will mark the beginning of the partnership.
Launched at Art Basel Miami Beach in December, the organization bills its new “Art for the Oceans” collaboration as a “global fundraising initiative to protect oceans, climate, and life against plastic pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss,” and it will play a role at Art Basel Hong Kong.
Parley, since its launch in 2012, has worked with over 30 artists, including Julian Schnabel, Ed Ruscha, Jenny Holzer, Katharina Grosse, and Doug Aitken.
For the first time, Parley will have a presence at an Art Basel show. A Parley display at the West Lobby will invite visitors to explore the beauty and fragility of our oceans through video, imagery and art – storytelling that communicates the urgency of the environmental crisis and the reality of the world that we all live in.
Cyrill Gutsch, Founder of Parley for the Oceans, said: As a cultural referent for our societies, the art world can play a significant role in safeguarding the planet and creating a more sustainable future. Art for the Oceans is a fundraising initiative calling for support for initiatives that help protect marine ecosystems and bolster community-led responses to urgent ecological threats.”
Gutsch also added; the initiative will see Parley’s Global Cleanup Network remove 1 lb of plastic for every $1 donated through the program and will support education and ocean programs designed to support Parley’s mission of transforming harmful and toxic materials, products and systems to create a better future where clean and healthy oceans connect us all.
Parley will introduce its artist-designed surfboards and limited-edition ocean bags featuring works by leading contemporary artists, including Ed Ruscha, Jenny Holzer, Katharina Grosse, Pipilotti Rist, Doug Aitken, and more. The bags are made with Parley Ocean Plastic®, a premium material from up-cycled plastic waste recovered from remote islands, waters and coastlines by Parley’s Global Cleanup Network. Each bag is made from approximately five intercepted plastic bottles.
Parley will host guided tours during the public days of Art Basel Miami Beach, December 8th-10th. The tours will highlight key artworks around the theme of sustainability and invite visitors to discover how art can transcend barriers of language and culture — and why art and the artist are, therefore, the perfect messengers for change. Tours will run for 1 hour, and tickets will cost $35, which will be donated to the Parley Foundation
