Children learn grim story of marine life

Panaji: The view of artwork made from glow-in-the-dark paints can be exciting, but children at the Goa Science Centre, Miramar,were in for a rude shock when they saw images of Olive Ridley turtles and other marine animals breathing for life in plastic polluted oceans.

Such is the telling representation of Goa's piscine creatures at the Story of Space installation, titled 'Who does the Sea Belong To?'

"This is our way to use design to talk about a scientific subject. It's not that people have not seen or heard of these issues before, but through this art immersive experience, it's a way to start a conversation," said artist Tia Kansara.

Artists Kansara and Mudita Pasari take visitors through this journey by letting them into an unlit shipping container stationed at the Goa Science Centre. They are handed a torch to flash on the walls to look around.

"The ocean is such an expanse that it's not easy to keep each and every marine creature that loses its life owing to plastic pollution. Olive Ridley turtles in Goa confuse plastic bags for jelly fish and consume it, leading to their death. The installation makes children contemplate over these things," said Pasari.

Though this work, they are urging young ones to adopt a three-step solution to help reduce plastic waste going into the ocean. Children are being asked to always carry a refillable bottle to the beach, instead of buying one and discarding it there; to carry a cloth bag instead of a polythene one; and avoid using a plastic straw while drinking beverages.