Under the name “Last Call for Beauty”, Ocean us is bleaching famous paintings to raise awareness of the extinction of coral reefs in the world’s oceans.

August 07, 2024 – When famous masterpieces of art lose their color, it is a catastrophic loss. A spectacular campaign by the foundation Ocean us is now making this a reality – and the most famous masterpieces in the world’s most prestigious museums are fading. From the Palace of Versailles and the Albertina Museum to the Prado, the Guggenheim, and the National Gallery of Victoria, many major museums are participating. They are raising global awareness about coral bleaching, the alarming loss of coral in the world’s oceans, and the crowdfunding campaign for the Global Coral Restoration project.

Without them, our world would be lifeless and gray. Colors represent vitality and are the ultimate means of expression. This is especially true in art: from Monet’s water lilies to Van Gogh’s sunflowers, the iconic masterpieces of art history would be hard to imagine without their characteristic colors.

But this is exactly what renowned museums from around the world are now showing: the joint campaign “Last Call For Beauty” of the international foundation Ocean us shows what happens when works of art gradually lose their color.

The digital process of bleaching symbolizes and draws attention to the dramatic increase in coral bleaching in the world’s oceans, which threatens to destroy this important ecosystem to the point of extinction.

Program for the restoration of coral reefs

The impressive campaign is part of the Global Coral Restoration project of the international foundation Ocean us. Together with the world’s leading marine scientists and experts from other disciplines, the global initiative has developed a concrete plan to rebuild the world’s oceans. The foundation’s first project, Global Coral Restoration, aims to reverse the projected functional extinction of coral reefs. The ambitious goal is to restore nine million square meters of damaged reefs worldwide by 2030.

Linda Neugebauer, founder of Ocean us: „An ocean without functioning coral reefs is unthinkable. They are home to a quarter of all marine species and are essential to the survival of many coastal communities. We now have the opportunity to make a huge collective effort to restore the diversity and richness of the oceans. And to ensure that our world does not continue to lose color, and with it, life.“

“Bleaching Art” is part of a series of creative actions within the “Last Call for Beauty” campaign, developed by Chema Herrera, Creative Director and Head of Marketing and Communications at Ocean us. The campaign will run until December 2024 and is supported by major international institutions and companies.

Chema Herrera, Creative Director of Ocean us, on the campaign he created: “Last Call for Beauty raises the question of how far we are willing to lose beauty. Be it in art, fashion, music, in our lives or on our planet. We all want beauty all the time, in our work, our families, and our vacations. Beauty motivates us to act. And we must act now to avoid losing one of the world’s most beautiful ecosystems. The worst thing we can do is simply accept the loss of beauty in all its dimensions on our planet.“

11 of the world’s most prestigious museums are participating in this impressive campaign with their most emblematic works. These include the Albertina Museum in Vienna with Monet’s „Water Lily Pond“, the Prado in Madrid with El Greco’s famous oil „Portrait of a Nobleman with His Hand on His Chest“, and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia with Tiepolo’s „Banquet of Cleopatra“. The Munch Museum in Oslo contributes the world-famous „The Scream“ by expressionist painter Edvard Munch, while the Palace of Versailles has Nocret’s „The royal family in Olympus“.

“I see many commonalities between the preservation of our environment and that of artistic masterpieces. It’s a shared struggle to look after the treasures we have inherited, whether natural or created, and which allow us to live, and to live with beauty”. Christopher Leribault, President, Palace of Versailles, France

“Humankind and nature are inextricably linked: Nature and animals are among humankind’s earliest subjects; they have been a recurring, inexhaustible motif in art throughout the millennia. And just like our artistic treasures, nature is fragile and in need of special protection: let’s work together to preserve our unique treasures for future generations.“ Prof. Dr. Klaus Albrecht Schröder, Director General of ALBERTINA, Vienna

 „Today, more than ever, the mission of museums is to impart knowledge and encourage critical thinking. Raising awareness of issues such as sustainability is one of the priorities of the Thysen-Bornemisza Museum’s purpose, and our art collection is an excellent vehicle for developing the many initiatives we have undertaken in this regard. We are very pleased with our collaboration with the foundation Ocean us.“  Evelio Acevedo Carrero, Director General, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid

“Art is a powerful tool for transformation: not only can it exert a reflection on the ongoing ecological catastrophe, but it is also a valuable instrument for modifying our perception of the link between culture and nature. In its most ephemeral manifestations, art also reminds us of the no less circumstantial character of our presence on Earth.” Andrés Duprat, Director of the National Museum of Fine Arts, Argentina

„Tiepolo’s iconic painting focuses on the love affair between the Roman consul Mark Antony and the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra. The painting recounts the tale of a famous contest whereby Cleopatra wagered she could stage a feast more lavish than the legendary excesses of Mark Antony. Tiepolo shows the dramatic moment when Cleopatra wins the wager with her trump card. Removing one her priceless pearl earrings, she dissolves it in a glass of vinegar and drinks it, causing Mark Antony to lose his bet. In the context of this campaign, we are reminded that together we are wagering the future beauty of coral reefs and other ecosystems – how could we look on passively as they dissolve before our eyes, much like Cleopatra’s precious pearl.“ Ewan McEoin, Senior Curator, National Art Gallery Victoria, Australia

Global Crowdfunding Campaign to implement Global Coral Restoration

Ocean us has launched a crowdfunding initiative as part of an international campaign. The foundation’s project aims to raise a total of 40 million euros for the implementation of the Global Coral Restoration Project and has already secured commitments from major companies and institutions. The goal is to implement a concrete plan for global coral restoration on an industrial scale, to be launched later this year.

You can find out more about the Global Coral Restoration and the crowdfunding campaign here: https://oceanus.life/lastcallforbeauty

For more information on Ocean us‘ plan to rebuild the world’s oceans within one generation, see https://oceanus.life/.

“Bleaching Art“ and Participating Museums and Masterpieces

 – Picture is available at AP –

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