OCEAN / UNI
bárawa
October 9 –
November 27, 2024
Design: Pardo; Lana Jerichová
Upcoming
TBA21–Academy
Programming
EN/ES
Bárawa... what a word convenes, what the Ocean convenes as an entity:
The Caribbean began in the fire and continues in the water. The deep time that constitutes us is made of fire, sediments, crystals, grains and water, lots of water. To speak of the Ocean from our coordinates is to enter into relationship with the skin of the planet on which we live, which itself has an oceanic origin, according to one of the most widely accepted theories in western science: the skin of the planet that we call the Caribbean Tectonic Plate was created at a hotspot where today lie the archipelago of Galápagos Islands, so the plate’s main composition has an oceanic character; hence, thinking the Caribbean has much to do with the Pacific. Just as Epeli Hau‘ofa looked to us at the end of the last century to signal the then recent processes of independence, we look to him to borrow a paragraph from his essay “Our Sea of Islands” as one of the main provocations of the two OCEAN / UNI semesters conceived with The Current IV. We are interested in transcending the deterministic perspective imposed on the region since the 15th century that narrates it as an exclusively insular context or as a context divided into three parts: insular, isthmus and continental; the constant in both narratives: fragmentation.
Do people in most of Oceania live in tiny confined spaces? The answer is yes if one believes what certain social scientists are saying. [...] Their calculation is based entirely on the extent of the land surfaces they see.
But if we look at the myths, legends, and oral traditions, and the cosmologies of the peoples of Oceania, it becomes evident that they did not conceive of their world in such microscopic proportions. Their universe comprised not only land surfaces, but the surrounding ocean as far as they could traverse and exploit it, the underworld with its fire-controlling and earth-shaking denizens, and the heavens above with their hierarchies of powerful gods and named stars and constellations that people could count on to guide their ways across the seas.
To paraphrase Hau‘ofa, fragmentation is a state of mind; if we walk along the bottom of the Caribbean Sea we will realize that we do not inhabit islands, isthmuses or continental lands, but a succession of mountains among waters. Fragmentation is a state of mind imposed by the colonial enterprise and its consequent nation-states in this skin of the planet. Just as geological bodies interrelate, so do other forms of life, including the human species, and they do so beyond verbal language, they do so through aesthetic tools and strategies that have little to do with verbal language, they do so through layers and layers of sensory sediment that have little to do with verbal language. They have done it throughout time, with the most recent trace found in the fugue that began cimarronaje – the maroonage – as a process. Bárawa is the word in the Garífuna language used in Guatemala to refer to the Ocean. The Garífuna nation is a community constituted by marronage and by water that persists to this day.
[Let’s stop for a second here]
The Caribbean began in the fire and continues in the water. The deep time that constitutes us is made of fire, sediments, crystals, grains and water. Although we do not know the quantity, much of that water comes from the bodies of people from native communities and the African continent enslaved by the European colonial empires, and the bodies of citizens of nation-states whose passports cannot cross the imaginary border lines imposed by the internal dynamics of each state and the neocolonial dynamics in the region. Hence, deepening our relationship with Bárawa means deepening our relationship with the ancestors of the human species that compose us. Hence, to talk about Bárawa from our coordinates means to decolonize our subconscious. Hence, to talk about Bárawa from our coordinates means to broaden ideas of what’s possible.
[Let’s stop for a second here]
The Caribbean began in the fire and continues in the water, which is why we are moving towards other mountains, adrift beneath the waves, proposing an oceanic perspective of the region, an oceanic perspective of this skin of the planet.
Bárawa... what a word convenes, what the Ocean convenes as an entity:
The Caribbean began in the fire and continues in the water. The deep time that constitutes us is made of fire, sediments, crystals, grains and water, lots of water. To speak of the Ocean from our coordinates is to enter into relationship with the skin of the planet on which we live, which itself has an oceanic origin, according to one of the most widely accepted theories in western science: the skin of the planet that we call the Caribbean Tectonic Plate was created at a hotspot where today lie the archipelago of Galápagos Islands, so the plate’s main composition has an oceanic character; hence, thinking the Caribbean has much to do with the Pacific. Just as Epeli Hau‘ofa looked to us at the end of the last century to signal the then recent processes of independence, we look to him to borrow a paragraph from his essay “Our Sea of Islands” as one of the main provocations of the two OCEAN / UNI semesters conceived with The Current IV. We are interested in transcending the deterministic perspective imposed on the region since the 15th century that narrates it as an exclusively insular context or as a context divided into three parts: insular, isthmus and continental; the constant in both narratives: fragmentation.
Do people in most of Oceania live in tiny confined spaces? The answer is yes if one believes what certain social scientists are saying. [...] Their calculation is based entirely on the extent of the land surfaces they see.
But if we look at the myths, legends, and oral traditions, and the cosmologies of the peoples of Oceania, it becomes evident that they did not conceive of their world in such microscopic proportions. Their universe comprised not only land surfaces, but the surrounding ocean as far as they could traverse and exploit it, the underworld with its fire-controlling and earth-shaking denizens, and the heavens above with their hierarchies of powerful gods and named stars and constellations that people could count on to guide their ways across the seas.
To paraphrase Hau‘ofa, fragmentation is a state of mind; if we walk along the bottom of the Caribbean Sea we will realize that we do not inhabit islands, isthmuses or continental lands, but a succession of mountains among waters. Fragmentation is a state of mind imposed by the colonial enterprise and its consequent nation-states in this skin of the planet. Just as geological bodies interrelate, so do other forms of life, including the human species, and they do so beyond verbal language, they do so through aesthetic tools and strategies that have little to do with verbal language, they do so through layers and layers of sensory sediment that have little to do with verbal language. They have done it throughout time, with the most recent trace found in the fugue that began cimarronaje – the maroonage – as a process. Bárawa is the word in the Garífuna language used in Guatemala to refer to the Ocean. The Garífuna nation is a community constituted by marronage and by water that persists to this day.
[Let’s stop for a second here]
The Caribbean began in the fire and continues in the water. The deep time that constitutes us is made of fire, sediments, crystals, grains and water. Although we do not know the quantity, much of that water comes from the bodies of people from native communities and the African continent enslaved by the European colonial empires, and the bodies of citizens of nation-states whose passports cannot cross the imaginary border lines imposed by the internal dynamics of each state and the neocolonial dynamics in the region. Hence, deepening our relationship with Bárawa means deepening our relationship with the ancestors of the human species that compose us. Hence, to talk about Bárawa from our coordinates means to decolonize our subconscious. Hence, to talk about Bárawa from our coordinates means to broaden ideas of what’s possible.
[Let’s stop for a second here]
The Caribbean began in the fire and continues in the water, which is why we are moving towards other mountains, adrift beneath the waves, proposing an oceanic perspective of the region, an oceanic perspective of this skin of the planet.
METHODOLOGY
aba fahoü lubaron bárawa[1] from the portion of the skin of the planet that we call the “Caribbean Tectonic Plate”, convenes a discussion on contemporary emancipatory processes by intertwining the regional evolution of the Ocean with the experience of marronage and the aesthetic tool and strategy of improvisation~freestyle.
The methodology of this OCEAN / UNI program is based on the notion of sedimentation as a way of weaving seemingly unrelated yet intertemporally layered material-topics. During the two semesters, people involved in the research and new guests will share reflections on the areas of work that make up the research developed through The Current IV, whose main thesis poses the Ocean as the epicenter of contemporary emancipatory processes and what it means to approach this thesis from the context of the Caribbean.
The first semester focuses on processes of constant transformation from the perspectives of the human species and geological forms of life. The second semester concentrates on the expansions proposed by the Ocean as an articulating entity of new imaginations from which to make life.
aba fahoü lubaron bárawa[1] from the portion of the skin of the planet that we call the “Caribbean Tectonic Plate”, convenes a discussion on contemporary emancipatory processes by intertwining the regional evolution of the Ocean with the experience of marronage and the aesthetic tool and strategy of improvisation~freestyle.
The methodology of this OCEAN / UNI program is based on the notion of sedimentation as a way of weaving seemingly unrelated yet intertemporally layered material-topics. During the two semesters, people involved in the research and new guests will share reflections on the areas of work that make up the research developed through The Current IV, whose main thesis poses the Ocean as the epicenter of contemporary emancipatory processes and what it means to approach this thesis from the context of the Caribbean.
The first semester focuses on processes of constant transformation from the perspectives of the human species and geological forms of life. The second semester concentrates on the expansions proposed by the Ocean as an articulating entity of new imaginations from which to make life.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE & REGISTRATION
The program is intended for anyone eager to deepen their relations with the ecological, political, aesthetic, ethical, and scientific knowledges around the realities and futures of the Ocean. Lectures will be held in English or Spanish with direct translation between the two languages, so a good listening and speaking level of either is recommended to ensure meaningful exchange.
Participants are invited to register for the program online to receive Zoom links and session reminders. Zoom links, session information and recordings can also be found on the ocean comm/uni/ty platform. You are welcome to register in advance for more than one session. If you attend all five sessions, you will receive an official certificate of attendance upon request.
REGISTRATION FORM FOR OCEAN / UNI SESSIONS HERE
The program is intended for anyone eager to deepen their relations with the ecological, political, aesthetic, ethical, and scientific knowledges around the realities and futures of the Ocean. Lectures will be held in English or Spanish with direct translation between the two languages, so a good listening and speaking level of either is recommended to ensure meaningful exchange.
Participants are invited to register for the program online to receive Zoom links and session reminders. Zoom links, session information and recordings can also be found on the ocean comm/uni/ty platform. You are welcome to register in advance for more than one session. If you attend all five sessions, you will receive an official certificate of attendance upon request.
REGISTRATION FORM FOR OCEAN / UNI SESSIONS HERE
ACTIVATIONS
Activations are a workshop-style format developed by OCEAN / UNI that invite active engagement in the topics discussed during the semester. In these classes, designed for around 20 people each, OCEAN / UNI participants can experiment with specific skills and practices with expert leaders and fellow members of the comm/uni/ty.
Registration for activations will be opened live during the main sessions, and subsequently on the ocean comm/uni/ty platform if maximum participation isn’t already reached.
This semester, through our activations, we will experiment with topics of ecological activism and campaigning, body movement and dance, and creative writing in arts and science contexts.
Activations are a workshop-style format developed by OCEAN / UNI that invite active engagement in the topics discussed during the semester. In these classes, designed for around 20 people each, OCEAN / UNI participants can experiment with specific skills and practices with expert leaders and fellow members of the comm/uni/ty.
Registration for activations will be opened live during the main sessions, and subsequently on the ocean comm/uni/ty platform if maximum participation isn’t already reached.
This semester, through our activations, we will experiment with topics of ecological activism and campaigning, body movement and dance, and creative writing in arts and science contexts.
RELATED OPPORTUNITY
Along with participation in the sessions, TBA21–Academy is commissioning texts to enrich the curriculum by adding other perspectives to the featured topics. We encourage applicants to be mindful of their situatedness to avoid appropriating the knowledges of other communities and instead draw connections with case studies within their own geographies.
This is a call to OCEAN / UNI participants and ocean comm/uni/ty members who find any of the topics of this coming semester especially resonant and would like to be featured with their writing on Ocean-Archive.org’s Journeys page.
See more details and directly apply via this Google Form no later than September 8, 2024.
Along with participation in the sessions, TBA21–Academy is commissioning texts to enrich the curriculum by adding other perspectives to the featured topics. We encourage applicants to be mindful of their situatedness to avoid appropriating the knowledges of other communities and instead draw connections with case studies within their own geographies.
This is a call to OCEAN / UNI participants and ocean comm/uni/ty members who find any of the topics of this coming semester especially resonant and would like to be featured with their writing on Ocean-Archive.org’s Journeys page.
See more details and directly apply via this Google Form no later than September 8, 2024.
RADIO SHOW “The Anglerfish Chronicles” Hosted by Khadija Stewart
Welcome to a realm that transcends turquoise waters and idyllic beaches; the Caribbean is a vibrant tapestry of cultures, histories, and communities intricately woven by the Ocean’s embrace. From the pulsating rhythms of calypso and reggae to the rich traditions of storytelling and seafaring, the Caribbean Sea is the lifeblood that shapes and sustains life in this region. Dive into The Anglerfish Chronicles and discover the symphony of the Caribbean—where every wave tells a story, and every shore sings with the spirit of its people.
Radio Captain Khadija Stewart is back on board, this time embarking on a journey through the heart of the Caribbean Sea. We’ll hear from local voices, delve into environmental challenges, and celebrate the resilience and creativity that define coastal life in the region. Whether you’re a longtime ocean advocate or just beginning to explore, join us as we set sail through the region, uncovering stories of culture, connection, and the unyielding spirit of the Caribbean people.
In its Fall 2024 cycle, The Anglerfish Chronicles aims to complement the live sessions of “bárawa” and spread a sense of love for the Ocean. All episodes will be available online after the semester.
Episodes
1. Caribbean Currents: Exploring the Heartbeat of Island Life
2. Oceanic Narratives: The Lifeblood of Caribbean Communities
3. Sands and Stories: The Cultural Mosaic of the Caribbean Coast
4. Waves of Resilience: Stories from the Caribbean Shores
5. From Depths to Shores: The Art of Caribbean Storytelling
6. Sustainable Seas: Cutting-Edge Marine Solutions in the Caribbean
Khadija Stewart is a dedicated ocean climate specialist from Trinidad and Tobago, committed to fostering behavior change through knowledge sharing and innovative storytelling. With a BSc in Environmental and Natural Resource Management, an MSc in Sustainable Development with Management Studies, and an MSc in Climate Change and Development from SOAS University of London, Khadija brings a robust academic foundation to her work.
Welcome to a realm that transcends turquoise waters and idyllic beaches; the Caribbean is a vibrant tapestry of cultures, histories, and communities intricately woven by the Ocean’s embrace. From the pulsating rhythms of calypso and reggae to the rich traditions of storytelling and seafaring, the Caribbean Sea is the lifeblood that shapes and sustains life in this region. Dive into The Anglerfish Chronicles and discover the symphony of the Caribbean—where every wave tells a story, and every shore sings with the spirit of its people.
Radio Captain Khadija Stewart is back on board, this time embarking on a journey through the heart of the Caribbean Sea. We’ll hear from local voices, delve into environmental challenges, and celebrate the resilience and creativity that define coastal life in the region. Whether you’re a longtime ocean advocate or just beginning to explore, join us as we set sail through the region, uncovering stories of culture, connection, and the unyielding spirit of the Caribbean people.
In its Fall 2024 cycle, The Anglerfish Chronicles aims to complement the live sessions of “bárawa” and spread a sense of love for the Ocean. All episodes will be available online after the semester.
Episodes
1. Caribbean Currents: Exploring the Heartbeat of Island Life
2. Oceanic Narratives: The Lifeblood of Caribbean Communities
3. Sands and Stories: The Cultural Mosaic of the Caribbean Coast
4. Waves of Resilience: Stories from the Caribbean Shores
5. From Depths to Shores: The Art of Caribbean Storytelling
6. Sustainable Seas: Cutting-Edge Marine Solutions in the Caribbean
Khadija Stewart is a dedicated ocean climate specialist from Trinidad and Tobago, committed to fostering behavior change through knowledge sharing and innovative storytelling. With a BSc in Environmental and Natural Resource Management, an MSc in Sustainable Development with Management Studies, and an MSc in Climate Change and Development from SOAS University of London, Khadija brings a robust academic foundation to her work.
CRITICAL OCEAN LITERACY
The methodologies of OCEAN / UNI aim to create spaces of collaborative work, coalitional thinking, and solidarity to generate new pedagogies and ways of researching that go beyond words, grown from feeling. This sensitivity to the oceanic elaborates a critical ocean literacy that extends a factual comprehension of the mutual influence between us and the Ocean, moving deeper into thinking through the Ocean.
Performed individually and collectively, such acts can blend in different kinds of knowledge and release us from coded connections to wander through the Ocean’s rhythms, poetry, and biology; through these fluid processes of hybridization we might come to grasp and communicate our ecological crisis.
Learning through sensing, familiarity, and the body can ignite joy and healing, can grow affinity with otherness. Telling stories—and coming together to listen—can access cosmic timescales, can weave motives and planetary movements into the spaces between data points. How do the ways in which we talk to each other, gather, listen, and learn matter and create kinship? By welcoming worldviews originating in different densities and humidities, latitudes and altitudes, perhaps a new critical perspective could arise, one that can tell the story of the fragile interconnectedness of our biosphere, empowering humans and nonhumans to wade toward a space of balanced coexistence.
Learning about the Ocean is the strongest tool we have to protect it: becoming “ocean literate” is not just a way to gather facts, but to reclaim power.
The methodologies of OCEAN / UNI aim to create spaces of collaborative work, coalitional thinking, and solidarity to generate new pedagogies and ways of researching that go beyond words, grown from feeling. This sensitivity to the oceanic elaborates a critical ocean literacy that extends a factual comprehension of the mutual influence between us and the Ocean, moving deeper into thinking through the Ocean.
Performed individually and collectively, such acts can blend in different kinds of knowledge and release us from coded connections to wander through the Ocean’s rhythms, poetry, and biology; through these fluid processes of hybridization we might come to grasp and communicate our ecological crisis.
Learning through sensing, familiarity, and the body can ignite joy and healing, can grow affinity with otherness. Telling stories—and coming together to listen—can access cosmic timescales, can weave motives and planetary movements into the spaces between data points. How do the ways in which we talk to each other, gather, listen, and learn matter and create kinship? By welcoming worldviews originating in different densities and humidities, latitudes and altitudes, perhaps a new critical perspective could arise, one that can tell the story of the fragile interconnectedness of our biosphere, empowering humans and nonhumans to wade toward a space of balanced coexistence.
Learning about the Ocean is the strongest tool we have to protect it: becoming “ocean literate” is not just a way to gather facts, but to reclaim power.
ABOUT OCEAN / UNI
OCEAN / UNI is an initiative dedicated to art, activism, and science that invites fluid thinking with the Ocean as a way to move beyond the binaries of land and sea. OCEAN / UNI's curriculum provides students, researchers, and the public with access to wide-ranging ideas and explorations through regular live sessions, reading groups, small-scale workshops or activations, and other online material, free and accessible to everyone on Ocean-Archive.org.
Aiming to complement and enhance land-based understanding of the Earth, OCEAN / UNI covers a wide range of ecological, political, aesthetic, ethical, and scientific topics around the realities and futures of the Ocean.
OCEAN / UNI is an initiative dedicated to art, activism, and science that invites fluid thinking with the Ocean as a way to move beyond the binaries of land and sea. OCEAN / UNI's curriculum provides students, researchers, and the public with access to wide-ranging ideas and explorations through regular live sessions, reading groups, small-scale workshops or activations, and other online material, free and accessible to everyone on Ocean-Archive.org.
Aiming to complement and enhance land-based understanding of the Earth, OCEAN / UNI covers a wide range of ecological, political, aesthetic, ethical, and scientific topics around the realities and futures of the Ocean.
[1] This phrase means “a journey to the Ocean” in the Garífuna Guatemalan language. Translated by Clairon García, who participated in Flotation 1 of The Current IV.