Mini exhibitions at CommOCEAN 2026
As part of CommOCEAN 2026 there will be three mini exhibitions and a VR-demonstration in the smaller group rooms at the conference venue UiB Learning Arena.
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Curator and project manager Sølve Jozeph Westli from Aurora Vortex Studio will be present in group room B (Grupperom B) at CommOCEAN 2026 with a VR-demonstration of the immersive experience ‘The Changing Ocean’. Sølve is also one of the speakers in the second plenary on day 1 of the conference.
In addition there are three mini exhibitions at CommOCEAN 2026.
Five oceans, five power dynamics: a visual series on ocean geopolitics
The Ocean Affairs is a visual communication studio focused on ocean geopolitics and global maritime affairs. We translate complex topics, from territorial disputes and shipping routes to island governance, marine policy, environmental challenges, and the social and cultural dimensions of ocean communities, into maps, infographics, and visual analysis that make these issues accessible to a wider audience. Our work serves institutions, NGOs, and organizations that need to communicate ocean-related complexity clearly and effectively. The Ocean Affairs believes the ocean deserves to be talked about more and that the way we tell its stories matters.
Jacopo Scafura is the founder and editor of The Ocean Affairs and will be at CommOCEAN 2026 to present this mini exhibition. He will be in group room A (Grupperom A).
The Unusual Ocean: Who Lives in the Deep?
Meghan Jones uses modern impressionism and acrylic on canvas to reveal the beauty and wonder of the deep-sea below 1000m. Her displayed works are a selection of illustrations from her non-fiction children's science book, The Unusual Ocean: Who Lives in the Deep?, which introduces children ages 9-12 to 7 habitats and 19 organisms they might encounter while traveling from the shore to the deepest ocean trenches. The combination of real deep-sea research fact-checked by experts, age-appropriate writing, questions and ideas to spark curiosity and dazzling illustrations is a dynamic offering to inspire the next generation of deep-ocean stewards. Meghan is also the co-founder of The Unseen Ocean Collective and an assistant on The Deep-Sea Podcast.
You can find more of her work at www.studiombj.com and @studio_mbj on Instagram. She will be in group room C (Grupperom C).
Norwegian Seascapes Exhibition and Dialogue
Increasing Meaningful Citizen Engagement and Ocean Care through Reciprocal Experiences
This mini-exhibition displays winning entries to a Norwegian seascapes contest, where Norwegians were invited to submit a photo and text answering: "What does the sea mean to you?" The contest was hosted by the research project, Managing Ethical Norwegian Seascapes Activities (MENSA), to elicit the values of Norwegians with the goal to promote more sustainable and ethical ocean governance. The MENSAseascapes contest, survey, exhibitions, and panel discussions were fit for purpose by creating meaningful and reciprocal teaching and learning experiences for the research team and citizens. A challenge was engaging diverse public audiences beyond the social network of the researcher for the sample size to be representative of the population. Workshop participants will be invited to share their collective expertise and experiences in a survey and dialogue to scale up such citizen engagement activities to further marine science understanding and ocean care through communication of integrated research and education.
Lead investigator Mimi E. Lam from the MENSA project will be present to discuss the mini exhibition during CommOCEAN 2026. She will be in the room Nordre Allmenning 5.