The sea has long been an inspiring source of adventure, history, stories of faraway lands and mysterious and mythical creatures. From sea monsters to mermaids, giant squid to whales and the unknown, the sea has invited us to think expansively and dream of deep and faraway places.

But as ocean levels rise and plastics form islands at sea, we face the consequences of our consumption. The sea is in peril and it is an international crisis: waste has started washing up on shore in the Dominican Republic, floods are emptying debris into the ocean, the warming of the sea is destroying the great barrier reef in Australia and we are consuming microplastics in our seafood. The sea becomes a contentious topic that demands international cooperation.

Sinking is an interactive, live animation projection by Ali Momeni and Jenny Schmid, commissioned by the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. This project addresses both our mythical desires and the hard realities of our contemporary relationship with the sea. Sinking creates a narrative around the personal objects of audience members as well as poetic and historical associations of the sea. Sinking is a participatory performance and draws on stories and objects provided by the audience.  We invite attendees of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum to reflect on their worldly possessions to identify an object with sentimental value that will outlast them. During the performance, a documentation station will be set up where audience members can lend their small object, a picture or drawing of that object, or a word that describes the object. Large projections will surround the space and immerse viewers in an animated build up and break down of our poetic associations with the sea and the challenging realities of the current international crisis.