What do fish, corals, algae, and humans have in common?

The Ocean & Climate Village—a traveling science exhibition developed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) and supported by the Prada Group as part of the SEA BEYOND project—has arrived in Sardinia.

In Cagliari, the sight of a narrow red "Luna Rossa" stripe against a gray background—seen on T-shirts, baseball caps, and other sportswear—seems to have a magical effect on everyone. As I board a plane to leave the island, wearing one of these very caps, a flight attendant looks at me closely and asks:

"Why are you wearing Luna Rossa?"

"Max Sirena gave it to me!" I reply with a laugh. "Actually, I’m a journalist—I was at the opening of the Ocean & Climate Village at the Luna Rossa team base!"

"Oh, I know Max!" the flight attendant says, beaming. "My sister is on the Luna Rossa team that won America’s Cup two years ago."

As other passengers stow their bags and trolleys in the overhead bins and take their seats, I chat with her about Max Sirena’s coolness and charisma, and his brilliant leadership of the Luna Rossa team.

Max Sirena, the CEO of Luna Rossa, is a true hero in Sardinia—especially in Cagliari. Everyone here knows him, and—even more importantly—adores him. It was under his leadership that the aforementioned Luna Rossa women’s team won the cup during the first-ever America’s Cup regatta to feature women’s teams. Under his leadership this year, the Luna Rossa men’s team won the qualifying series, becoming the "challenger"—the team that will compete for the Cup—while the women’s team, as the "defender," will work to retain the title. The final will take place next March in Naples, and one can only imagine the immense enthusiasm with which it is being awaited here.

Max Sirena has just become a SEA BEYONDer—joining the community of goodwill ambassadors for the SEA BEYOND program. This was announced to the press via a video conference call by Lorenzo Bertelli, Head of Sustainability for the Prada Group, who noted that he had intended to be in Cagliari in person but was unfortunately unable to make it, despite his strong desire. Given the extensive racing experience of both sons of Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, it is clear that this is more than just a polite formality.

Signor Sirena himself greets us—wearing the same gray Luna Rossa T-shirt with a red stripe—and expresses his pleasure in joining the SEA BEYONDers’ circle. He explains that he is drawn to the initiative because it evokes strong emotions—something SEA BEYOND provides in abundance. When asked why Cagliari was chosen as the base for the sailing team, he explains that it is one of only three places on Earth with the perfect combination of weather, temperature, and other conditions for sailing races. In addition to the press conference, he also gives us a tour of the Luna Rossa base. He shows us the hangar housing the Luna Rossa racing boats—including the primary vessel, which weighs 6 tons and measures 23 meters in length, as well as the repair workshops. He even takes us through the gym where the team trains, noting that their regimen had previously focused primarily on cardio and strength training, but that a new five-day routine has been adopted: now, it’s three days at the gym, one day in the pool, and one day of yoga. Judging by the team’s results, this approach is clearly working well.

We learned all of this because Luna Rossa is currently hosting the Ocean&Climate Village —a traveling science exhibition developed by the IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO) and supported by the Prada Group as part of the SEA BEYOND project. This marks the debut of a new exhibition concept, created by the design and research studio Formafantasma.

The exhibition is divided into four sections, each focusing on a critical issue concerning the preservation of the global ocean. "One Ocean" illustrates that there are no isolated, separate parts; rather, there is a single, unified global ocean where everything is interconnected. "The Climate Engine" explains how all life on Earth—including us—depends on this global ocean. "Biodiversity" highlights how a variety of species is of direct, practical importance to the planet's climate status. Finally, "Ocean Anomalies" addresses the primary threats facing the ocean today, such as warming waters, acidification, deoxygenation, and rising sea levels. As Francesca Santoro—an marine biologist and Senior Programme Officer at the IOC—explains, all of these issues are linked to human activity, even those that might, at first glance, seem entirely unrelated to the ocean.

It is worth noting that Formafantasma has done an exceptional job of making the exhibition both vivid and accessible. Modern infographics are balanced with bold, bright colours, while sound design is complemented by lighting. The display platforms have been positioned low enough so that even small children can see everything clearly, and they feature vibrant, three-dimensional objects—fish, crabs, turtles, and seaweed. According to Formafantasma’s co-founder Simone Farresin, the studio collaborated with a craftsman who creates such models for museums—and, being a biologist by training, he ensures they are as accurate as possible.

Wherever the Ocean&Climate Village travels, it brings workshops led by SEA BEYONDers—and Sardinia was no exception. These workshops were designed for children and teenagers. The younger participants used the microscopes to examine sea specimens gathered by Carmelo Isgrò, a biologist and director of MuMa (the Museum of the Sea of Milazzo), who sailed from Sicily to Sardinia aboard his boat, ‘Cassiopea,’ restored with support from the Prada Group. Meanwhile, teenagers studied the art of photojournalism with Elisabetta Zavoli, an explorer and National Geographic photojournalist. Elsewhere we, the journalists, posed questions during a public talk moderated by climate advocate Valentina Gotlib. Outside, on the exterior walls of the hangar, an open-air exhibition by another SEA BEYONDer, photographer and climate artist Enzo Barracco, was on display. And his photographs, taken in Hawaii and Galápagos Islands, created a captivating harmony with the sky and the sea of Sardinia.

Text: Elena Stafyeva
Courtesy: Prada Group