Toxic Beauty exhibition: unveiling invisible ocean pollution through art
The exhibition “Toxic Beauty: Art Inspired by Invisible Ocean Pollutants” was presented across two public events in Bergen, creating opportunities to engage diverse audiences with the often-invisible impacts of marine pollution.
Hovedinnhold
Where science meets kids’ curiosity: Kunnskapsfest at UiB
The first presentation took place during Kunnskapsfest på UiB, an open-doors science festival at Universitetsmuseet which attracted an impressive number of 3,618 visitors. The audience included a strong presence of families and young children. The installation included interactive activities such as hands-on dissection of an Atlantic cod toy fish designed as an educational tool for children to explore its internal organs. This activity provided a simple entry point to discuss how pollutants accumulate in marine organisms, particularly in fatty tissues such as the liver. The interactive nature of the installation facilitated discussions on how plastics and oil-related contaminants can enter marine food webs, affecting not only wildlife survival but also human health.
Left: Display of the exhibition at the Kunnskapsfest. Right: members of the exhibition, María, Valter and Paula.
Visitors frequently expressed concern about plastic pollution and asked practical questions about prevention, including what actions individuals can take and which fish species may be safer to consume. Some international visitors also reflected on differences in waste management and beach cleanliness between Norway and their home countries, often expressing appreciation for local recycling systems and environmental initiatives.
One Ocean Week: raising awareness on oil spills and plastic waste in our oceans
The second presentation took place during One Ocean Week an annual arena for researchers, companies, politicians and the public to exchange knowledge and experiences related to the sustainable use of the ocean. Here, a central feature of the exhibition, the “plastic monster” and plastic fish, immediately captured the curiosity of the public. Many visitors, particularly children, were intrigued and at times fascinated by its appearance. This response became a starting point for conversations about plastic waste in the oceans and its long-term ecological effects, helping to sustain engagement and deeper discussions with the parents.
Left: Paula and other participants with the art piece “plastic monster” in the centre. Right: fishes created by Valter West using plastic found near the fiords in Bergen.
The installation included additional interactive and educational components such as a large ocean mural which invited visitors to actively “clean” the sea by removing pieces of plastic embedded in the artwork. This participatory activity symbolized marine cleanup efforts and encouraged reflection on the scale of plastic pollution, with many visitors taking pictures and describing the mural as “impactful”. The activity was connected to Plastnettverket, a network from the University of Bergen that organizes beach clean-up activities.
Mural with plastics attached to be removed by the visitors created by Valter West.
In addition, visitors were able to participate in a demonstration experiment illustrating how oil spills behave in marine environments. The demonstration highlighted how difficult it is to remove crude oil once it spreads in water, emphasizing the long-term environmental consequences of spills and the challenges involved in mitigation and restoration.
Crude oil experiment (left) designed by María Míguez and Atlantic cod fish toy (right).
Reflections
Across both events, Toxic Beauty demonstrated the value of combining art and science communication to engage the public in environmental issues. The strong reactions from children and adults alike, ranging from curiosity to concern, highlighted how interactive approaches can foster meaningful dialogue about ocean pollution.
By linking hands-on experiences with real-world environmental processes, the exhibition encouraged participants to reflect on their own relationship with plastic use, waste management, and consequences for ecosystems, human health and food safety. Ultimately, the project successfully transformed awareness into understanding and care for the marine environment.
María F. Míguez rising awareness of crude oil pollution in the Arctic to one of the visitors during the One Ocean Week.
Authors and collaboration
The Toxic Beauty exhibition was originally conceived by María Fernández Míguez, postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Biological Sciences (BIO), University of Bergen. She also secured funding for the project through the University of Bergen and Climate Funds. The project was developed through an interdisciplinary collaboration with the Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design (KMD). As part of this collaboration, bachelor student Valter West created the plastic sculptures and interactive mural in the installation with the input of additional creators of the project. A digital portfolio of Valter Wests work can be found on his Instagram page @valterwestt. Scientific illustration and visual communication were provided by Paula Miramón Puértolas, a trained scientist who completed her PhD at the Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, enabling her to effectively translate complex scientific concepts into accessible visual form.