Carried by the Receding Tide

The exhibition explores the intricate entanglements between the biodiversity of the Caspian Sea, human communities, and the escalating challenges of climate change. Through a visually disarming, almost childlike aesthetic—what might be described as a deliberately naïve visual language—the project makes a conscious effort to render complex environmental and geopolitical issues more accessible, especially to younger audiences. This strategy does not dilute the urgency of the message; rather, it underscores the need for wide-reaching dialogue that includes both the youngest voices and those too often left out of policy discourse.

At the heart of the exhibition is the Caspian Sea—a vast, landlocked body of water that touches the lives, economies, and ecologies of five countries. It is a site of overlapping concerns: geopolitical tension, resource extraction, cultural identity, and environmental precarity. The Caspian is home to species found nowhere else in the world, including the endangered Caspian seal and six distinct species of sturgeon. These creatures, some of them ancient and emblematic, are now facing unprecedented threats. As water levels drop dramatically due to climate change and mismanagement, breeding grounds vanish, migratory paths are disrupted, and entire habitats collapse.

In this context, the exhibition becomes more than a visual presentation—it becomes an invitation to reconsider our relationship with non-human life and the ecosystems that sustain us. The playful, approachable drawings belie a deep ecological intelligence, one that emphasizes interconnectedness and co-dependence between species. By evoking empathy for animal subjects, the work also functions as a vehicle for fostering interspecies solidarity—a gentle provocation that challenges anthropocentric worldviews.

Bringing this project to Azerbaijan—a site where environmental advocacy remains politically delicate— is especially significant to strike the conversation about the role of ecology and raise awareness in the younger generation. In such a context, the exhibition becomes a subtle yet potent form of ecological diplomacy—an artwork that opens space for reflection and dialogue where direct activism may not be possible. The child-friendly and seemingly apolitical format allows the work to enter contested spaces, planting seeds of awareness in the minds of viewers who may not otherwise engage with environmental concerns.

Ultimately, this project reminds us that the fate of the Caspian Sea is a shared concern—one that transcends borders, species, and generations. Without collective action aimed at preservation and resilience, we too risk being swept away by the receding tide of ecological collapse. The exhibition, in its gentle urgency, offers both a warning and a gesture of hope.