Hold Fast: A New Way to Experience Kelp is an immersive art installation that explores the San Diego giant kelp forests and climate change through the lens of three local artists and scientists who are using their unique skills and talents to take climate action. The exhibit invites viewers to identify how putting their talents to work in the climate crisis can bring joy while protecting our ocean planet.

Co-curated by Oriana Poindexter and Birch Aquarium Exhibits Director Megan Dickerson.

Guests weave through a labyrinth of cyanotype-printed giant kelp forest by photo-based artist and marine scientist Oriana Poindexter, dive into the details of local species via gyotaku prints by artist Dwight Hwang and witness up-to-the-minute kelp forest mapping by Scripps Oceanography PhD student Mohammad Sedarat. Three looping videos, focused the three featured artists and scientists, further engage viewers.

The Blue Forest of Poindexter’s 27 giant kelp silk cyanotype panels is the centerpiece of the space. Guests walk through the swaying panels, experiencing the wonder and scale of a giant kelp forest. ‘Soft rocks’ throughout the installation invite guests to rest in the clearings of the forest for a moment of calm contemplation.

Hold Fast is included with the cost of General Admission. The aquarium is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with extended seasonal hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from March 1 through Labor Day. Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu for more information.

Opening Lecture Event: Panel discussion at the Birch Aquarium on February 12, 2024 at 6:30pm. Recording available here.

Press Release