"Ocean literacy and global collaboration”
A conversation among Francesca Santoro, IOC Senior Program Officer, Dr. Fangli Qiao Member of Academia Europaea, Deputy Director General of the First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, China, Director of UN Ocean Decade Collaborative Centre on Ocean-climate Nexus, and Philip Tinari, Director, UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, to highlight the global mission of ocean literacy and the importance of cross-sector collaborations, where art can play an important role, in order to build a more informed, engaged, and sustainable relationship with the ocean.
Dr. Fangli Qiao commented: "The ocean plays a vital role in sustaining life on Earth: it regulates the climate, provides food and livelihoods, supports biodiversity, and drives the global economy. It is essential for sustainable development. That’s why it is crucial to strengthen communication around ocean literacy, engaging all stakeholders – scientists, governments, educators, the private sector, and also artists. Sometimes, an image can speak louder than a thousand words. We understand the ocean better when we collaborate together."

“Emotions, storytelling, and ocean protection”
SAKANA-KUN, renowned Japanese Ichthyologist, Professor and Artist, joined Titouan Bernicot, Founder of Coral Gardeners and SEA BEYOND Goodwill Ambassador in a dialogue moderated by podcaster Zhang Zhiqi to explore the emotional, narrative, and scientific dimensions of ocean conservation. The panel recounted how a childhood passion for the marine environment – fish for SAKANA-KUN, corals for Titouan Bernicot – sparked a lifelong commitment to ocean protection. This early fascination evolved into careers dedicated to protecting the sea: one through scientific outreach, the other through coral reef restoration.
The conversation was also joined by actor Bai YuFan, who recounted his passion for the sea, which he developed despite growing up in an inland province. All of them emphasized the power of communication as a tool to engage and educate broad and diverse audiences through different platforms and tools.
SAKANA-KUN said: “Sharing knowledge empowers children, who will lead the next generation, to learn. Projects like SEA BEYOND are not just about today, they connect to the future through ocean education”.

“Photography’s role in climate awareness”
An intimate conversation between Enzo Barracco, Emmy nominated Environmental Photographer and Climate Artist, and Francesca Santoro, IOC Senior Program Officer, on the role of visual art in promoting ocean preservation and environmental responsibility. Focusing on the beauty of nature, the dialogue highlighted how art can bridge science and society, raising awareness and inspiring action for the planet.

Enzo Barracco commented: “Photography has the power to communicate a very complex story. Its stillness and its silence move you and create a very strong connection between the image and the audience. If you see, you care. If you see, you act. If you see, you think differently”. He added: “In my work I focus on the beauty of the ocean as I really believe a positive story can inspire and drive a change.”

Young visitors were engaged in educational workshops that blended science, art, and ocean awareness through lively, hands-on experiences. During the opening days, children explored ocean pollution and its impact on marine life (“Ocean kaleidoscope: rescue the whale”), learned how sea level rise affects both marine and human ecosystems and discovered nature-based solutions (“Land and sea: mini-ecosystems”), and got to know the most iconic fish species in Chinese waters through live drawing and storytelling by SAKANA-KUN (“Secrets of the Sea: A Journey into the World of Fish”).

Among the participants were a group of elementary school students from Guizhou, an inland province of China. Thanks to SEA BEYOND, they traveled to Shanghai with their teachers to experience the seaside for the first time, bringing them closer to ocean knowledge and marine culture.

Throughout the week, additional educational workshops will be held for children aged 6-16, with art-based programs that approach ocean education through creative expression.

Reservation can be made via the “Prada Rong Zhai” WeChat Mini Program.

Operating hours: 10:00-22:00 daily on October 11 – 12; 10:00-18:00 daily on October 13 – 19. 
Free access upon reservation.

For further information, please refer to “Prada Rong Zhai” WeChat Mini Program.

SEA BEYOND is a project by Prada Group conducted in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO since 2019 to raise awareness of sustainability and ocean preservation, contributing to the progress of ocean education on a global scale through a series of training initiatives for younger generations. Since its debut, the educational program has shared the principles of ocean literacy with more than 35,000 students around the world. Moreover, the “Kindergarten of the Lagoon” project – outdoor education activities for preschool children in Venice – was launched in 2023 to create links between kids and the lagoon ecosystem. While the main focus remains education, SEA BEYOND has recently extended its scope to new areas of focus: support for scientific research, community engagement activities and policy advocacy dedicated to the ocean. The commitment was further reinforced in 2025 with the launch of the SEA BEYOND – Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Connecting People and Ocean, designed to mobilize financial resources from a broad coalition of partners to help restore the relationship between humanity and the ocean.
As of July 2023, 1% of the proceeds from the Prada Re-Nylon for SEA BEYOND Collection benefit SEA BEYOND. The list of products in this Collection is available at www.prada.com. Through SEA BEYOND, Prada Group has also trained its more than 14,000 employees worldwide on ocean literacy principles via VR educational content and the AWorld app, the official platform selected by the United Nations to live more sustainably.

Prada Group is socially engaged to contribute to the sustainable development of communities and stimulate cultural debate in all its forms of expression. The Group partners with recognized players and international entities to develop educational and training programs, promote talent, support scientific research, foster women’s empowerment, and promote local culture and artistic heritage. Prada Group operates in the luxury sector through the Prada, Miu, Church’s, Car Shoe, Marchesi 1824 and Luna Rossa brands.
ww.pradagroup.com

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO promotes international cooperation in marine sciences to improve management of the ocean, coasts, and marine resources. The IOC enables its 150 Member States to work together by coordinating programmes in capacity development, ocean observations and services, ocean science, tsunami warning, and ocean literacy. The work of the IOC contributes to the mission of UNESCO to promote the advancement of science and its applications to develop knowledge and capacity, key to economic and social progress and the basis of peace and sustainable development. The IOC is the entity in charge of coordinating the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (The Ocean Decade).