The world ocean is enveloped in a millenary shift following a long period of climatic stability. The transformations are plural: they traverse a multiplicity of elements, circulations, and environments and operate across a gradient of dimensions, energies, and rhythms. Territorial Agency and TBA21–Academy are collaborating to connect new forms of visibility and understanding of the ocean brought by science, culture, and art. Linking scientists, artists, policy makers, and conservationists by way of shared images, data sets, and narratives, the projects is structured as an instigation for new cognitive modes of encountering the ocean and a line towards attainable solutions. An assemblage of a variety of scientific data sets stemming from multiple research institutions depicts the magnitude of human impact on marine life. What emerges is a series of disquieting and disorienting dynamic compositions—a new image of the complex human spaces interacting with oceanic circulations, energies, and life forms.

John Palmesino and Ann-Sofi Rönnskog established Territorial Agency, an independent organization that combines architecture, analysis, advocacy, and action for integrated spatial transformation of contemporary territories. Recent projects include Oceans in Transformation in collaboration with TBA21–Academy; Museum of Oil with Greenpeace, ZKM Karlsruhe, and Chicago Architecture Biennial; Anthropocene Observatory with HKW Haus der Kulturen der Welt Berlin; North anon in Kiruna forever at ArkDes; the Museum of Infrastructural Unconscious and Unfinishable Markermeer. Palmesino  and Rönnskog both teach at the Architectural Association, London, where they convene an Open Seminar, “Plan the Planet.” Previously Palmesino thought at Goldsmiths, University of London, and was research advisor at the Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht. He also previously led the research activities of ETH Zurich/Studio Basel, Contemporary City Institute and he is a founding member of Multiplicity. Rönnskog previously was a researcher at ETH Zurich/Studio Basel, Contemporary City Institute and she is also a research fellow at AHO, Oslo.