Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1536109
7 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 6 JUNE 2025 CULTURE SATURDAY 14 TH JUNE 2025 CITTADELLA GOZO – 19:00 ONWARDS ILLUMINATING CITTADELLA WITH CANDLELIGHT LIVE ENTERTAINMENT REENACTMENTS FOOD STALLS FREE MUSEUMS PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES NEW ATTRACTIONS FREE ENTRANCE ART4SEA turns Gozo into an open-air museum for ocean conservation THIS June, the island of Gozo will become the stage for a transformative internation- al event blending art, science, and ocean conservation. From 5th to 7th June 2025, the Mediterranean island will host a major chapter of the ART4SEA project, with the main inauguration and public celebrations taking place on 5th June. This milestone marks the culmination of a year-long creative journey involving 24 international artists selected through a competitive open call across Europe. Eight of these artists were chosen to join the Gozo programme after completing inten- sive training in ocean conservation, sus- tainable artistic practices, and digital tech- nology. This was followed by a residency on the island in 2024, where they immersed themselves in local culture, seascapes, and maritime heritage. The resulting artworks—ranging from underwater sculptures to site-specific installations and immersive digital crea- tions—will be unveiled and permanently integrated into Gozo's architectural, nat- ural, and marine landscapes. The island is set to be transformed into a living, open-air and underwater museum, enriching Gozo's cultural identity and further establishing it as a prominent destination for art and en- vironmental awareness in the Mediterra- nean. "We are extremely proud to see the ART- 4SEA project come to life in Gozo," said Fabio Figurella, EU Project Coordinator for DAN Europe, a key partner in the pro- ject. "As a long-standing supporter of ma- rine conservation and safety, DAN Europe truly believes in the power of art to inspire change. These installations have a powerful effect and will particularly resonate with ocean lovers and divers as they witness firsthand what's at stake beneath the surface." Gozo is the first of the three ART4SEA destination islands to unveil its artworks, opening a Mediterranean journey that promotes ocean literacy through art. The project continues in Alonissos (Greece) on 27–28 June and closes with a grand finale in Ustica (Italy) on 11–13 September. The ART4SEA project is co-funded by the European Union under the CREA- CULT-2022-COOP programme, contrib- uting to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030). It brings together artists, scientists, crea- tive professionals and digital technology experts to raise awareness and drive behav- ioural change in how we relate to the ocean.