FEDERICA ZAMBELETTI / KOOZ The Prospecting Ocean project began with an exhibition and a subsequent publication, both presented and supported by TBA21–Academy. What led to the decision to research and engage with the Ocean? What makes this engagement particularly significant today?

ARMIN LINKE I was invited to take part in a fieldwork project on the ocean organised by TBA21–Academy. During the trip, we met Stefanie — we were on the same boat — and later presented some results from the fieldwork in Kingston, Jamaica, through a performative exhibition. While there, I became aware that Kingston is also home to the International Seabed Authority. At the time, I was exploring the Anthropocene concept with the project Anthropocene Observatory at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, focusing on the atmosphere and geological aspects. However, I realised the ocean was missing from my research.

This curiosity led me to connect with an international lawyer specialising in the Law of the Sea and Director of the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Oslo. My research expanded to examine the legal history of the oceans and the central assets governed by these laws. I began studying the distinctions between international and national waters — how they are defined and regulated — along with the resources that drive the development of maritime law. These regulations historically emerged when resources required formalised management for exploitation.

Broadly, the ocean’s legal framework encompasses both geological and biological aspects, with distinct sets of laws governing each type of resource. By the conclusion of the exhibition, the research had evolved to encompass various stakeholders involved in these discussions.

STEFANIE HESSLER As Armin said, we met in 2016 during a research trip organised by TBA21–Academy; I was the curator at the foundation, and he was invited as an artist. The ocean faces many challenges — pollution, climate change, and extraction among them. At the time, Armin was focused on the geological and atmospheric dimensions of the Anthropocene, or Capitalocene, and we started exploring the ocean from a legal and scientific perspective. This included institutions responsible for its administration.

There was significant discussion then about how shifting climatic conditions would impact ocean usage. For instance, as ice melts, the Northeast Passage is becoming navigable, drawing substantial investment from various nations and corporations. The same dynamic was evident in the South Pacific, where we were traveling. In French Polynesia, we spoke with local communities about the French nuclear tests conducted from the 1960s onward in the French overseas territory. This highlighted the ocean’s long history of extraction and exploitation — processes that have affected people, land, and water in profound ways.

Alongside these historical concerns, we examined contemporary developments, particularly deep-sea mining. Prospecting Ocean is deeply tied to this emerging frontier, where colonial histories and present-day extractivist practices intersect. Many of the minerals being mined — or soon to be extracted — are tied to the so-called green energy revolution, including electric vehicle production. This evolving discourse on resource extraction became central to our inquiry.

This research first took shape as an exhibition in 2018 at ISMAR, the Institute of Marine Sciences in Venice, during the architecture biennial. Now, with the exhibition at Columbia, the project enters a new chapter, an updated version developed closely with Irene.

KOOZ Deep-sea mining is often described as a new frontier, but its regulatory framework is shaped by longstanding legal structures. What did your research reveal about the entities responsible for establishing and administering these regulations? Were there notable discoveries linking current governance to colonial-era practices? Additionally, are certain countries more active in shaping or advancing deep-sea mining policies than others? What patterns emerged from your investigation into this evolving legal landscape?

SH The challenge with extraction, and particularly its legal frameworks, is that they're widely distributed. There isn't a single entity but rather a network of actors — research institutions, NGOs, and organisations that focus either on ocean protection or scientific inquiry. Armin’s work has been looking into these various entities involved in deep-sea mining regulations.

A key historical reference comes from the 1960s when Maltese diplomat Arvid Pardo proposed deep-sea mining as a mechanism for addressing global economic inequities. His argument was that such activities should serve the interests of economically underdeveloped nations. This framing was distinctly different from contemporary mining objectives, which are largely driven by private and commercial interests. The exhibition also highlights this contrast — how different institutions engage with deep-sea mining, some prioritising research and knowledge, others focusing on economic opportunities.

ALIn the project’s title film, various scenes illustrate how deep-sea mining is structured. One example features the legal advisor of the International Seabed Authority explaining the Clarion–Clipperton zone, where concessions have already been granted for initial prospecting experiments. While filming, I met biologists who were conducting ecological assessments to establish standards for these early-stage explorations. It was particularly interesting to observe how this research unfolds. Remote-operated vehicles carry out prospecting tasks, and in the same confined space, geologists focus on locating resources while biologists assess the ecological impact. They must navigate the delicate balance between exploitation and environmental protection, negotiating their findings within legal frameworks that culminate in formal discussions in Kingston.

We also encountered industrial players, such as Nautilus Minerals, a Canadian company co-financed by Oman MB Holding and Russian Metalloinvest investors. This allowed us to visit their operations in Papua New Guinea, which was significant because deep-sea mining was being conducted in national waters rather than international waters. Unlike international waters, where prospecting alone is permitted and overseen by the International Seabed Authority, national waters fall under the jurisdiction of individual nations, making full-scale mining operations possible. Nautilus’ first experiments were conducted in Papua New Guinea’s Bismarck Sea, where we engaged in participatory observation — not merely observing but actively participating in discussions.

We were able to witness how the first deep-sea mining machines were tested in Port Moresby and simultaneously engage with local communities in the Bismarck Sea region, attending awareness meetings about the impact of these operations. The exhibition, despite a five-year delay due to COVID, remains highly relevant. Very recently, Papua New Guinea introduced new legislation for deep-sea mining while last year, the ship MV Coco resumed prospecting activities in the Bismarck Sea even as Nautilus Minerals went bankrupt in 2019; the ship’s mining licenses have since been reassessed by a new company, Deep Sea Mining Finance. The film and exhibition examine this evolving network of stakeholders and how the negotiations surrounding deep-sea mining are distributed across different actors.

KOOZ This research project initially emerged in 2018; seven years later, it is being presented within the academic setting of the Arthur Ross Architecture Gallery at Columbia GSAPP. What has been the significance of continuing this research over time, and how has it evolved since 2018? Additionally, what is the value of showcasing this body of work within an academic institution, compared with cultural institutions such as ISMAR at the Venice Biennale?

IRENE SUNWOOThe original project has many dimensions, and while it’s impossible to include every actor in the narrative, at GSAPP there was an opportunity to expand its scope. As Armin mentioned, we explored additional research institutions, particularly in the United States. With the invitation for Armin and Stefanie to present the project at GSAPP, I proposed engaging new institutions on the ground to produce new material. This led us to focus on the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts, where we interviewed scientists and policymakers. Armin, alongside his collaborator Giulia Bruno, also documented these sites through photography and film, marking a new chapter in the project.

In terms of the exhibition’s academic context, it is worth noting that architects have long engaged with Armin’s work because of its strong spatial dimensions — it wrestles with global systems, revealing their complexities and scale through visual media. This resonance made it a fitting choice for the architectural community at Columbia and beyond. Representation, spatial investigation, and the intersection of power dynamics and storytelling are integral to architecture, reinforcing the relevance of hosting the project in this academic setting.

Five years ago, environmental issues and climate concerns were already deeply embedded in the curriculum, making it an ideal moment for the exhibition to amplify ongoing conversations at the school. The student body, faculty, and broader academic community could engage with the content in both intellectual and pedagogical ways — an essential goal for the gallery during my tenure as curator. Presenting this work within an academic institution importantly welcomes a younger generation of designers to gain multidimensional insights into environmental crises beyond scientific data, carbon footprints, and sustainable materials. It invites an understanding of how global systems shape the built environment in profound ways.

ALOne particularly compelling element about the exhibition that stood out to me was the map displaying the underwater mountains — a map created by Marie Tharp, a researcher, geographer, and cartographer at the Lamont-Doherty Observatory. Her work played a critical role in the development of plate tectonic theory. As a woman, Tharp was not permitted to conduct research aboard ships, so when sonar technologies for underwater visualisation emerged, she relied on manual calculations and intuition to interpret the data. Her insights revealed significant geological formations beneath the ocean’s surface. She remains an important figure, deeply connected to Lamont-Doherty’s history.

It was fascinating to collaborate with Irene in conducting interviews with Tharp’s former students. Additionally, designing the exhibition with Andrés Jaque’s studio allowed us to create an interactive experience — one where visitors could move through the space, uncovering a landscape within the gallery.

KOOZ The research has consistently examined knowledge-making processes, particularly in relation to modernist frameworks. How does this new chapter introduce or challenge different epistemologies? Science plays a crucial role in understanding and interpreting the ocean, but it is not the only one. How has this perspective influenced your curatorial strategy?

SH Armin’s work delves into the inner workings and aesthetics of science and discourses of knowledge. A notable example of this approach is reflected in the photography techniques used. The photos are taken with various cameras, resulting in different dimensions, but the final prints adhere to a standardised format. For instance, in the Venice project, the prints included white spaces adjacent to the images, intentionally exposing the production process. Part of the work is showing how visual cultures draw from technical and scientific conventions and shape those in turn, as well as examining the way that science functions.

AL Here’s a great example: the paper used, which is an industrial format standard, becomes an integral part of the frame — the materiality of the image itself. You could even say that the silver embedded in the emulsion represents an extractive element that is sculptural in nature.

SH For the Venice exhibition, we brought the "white cube" into the empty offices of ISMAR (Istituto di Scienze Marine) without making significant changes to the space. Similarly, the Arthur Ross Architecture Gallery exhibition incorporates distinct display systems developed in close collaboration with Andrés Jaque. These techniques and strategies, from both curatorial and design perspectives, aim to illustrate the creation of scientific knowledge while incorporating other ways of knowing — not in opposition, but as complementary approaches.

The project’s layered complexity is rooted in its exploration of the environment, encompassing biology, geology, natural and human-created systems. It also examines interference, extraction, and the legal and scientific frameworks governing the ocean. All these layers converge within the exhibition design, which both pays tribute to this density and engages visitors in an active way. For example, visitors can move the photographs to view both the front — the image itself — and the back, which features labels and texts written by Irene and myself to contextualise the visuals within the broader scope of the research.

Diverse epistemological systems, with science being one among many, are crucial to tackling complex topics like the ocean, extraction, and protest. The exhibition includes photographs documenting protests in Papua New Guinea, where local communities have vocally opposed the dangers deep-sea mining poses to land, water, and their way of life. These protests underscore the importance of engaging with varied methods and values tied to knowledge creation, as well as questioning what is done with such knowledge. This synthesis of epistemologies is central to both the exhibition and Armin’s work more broadly.

ISArmin, I’ve heard you speak about the sculptural quality of photography before, and it really resonates with your approach to exhibition design — not just at the Ross Gallery or Venice, but in your broader work. You rarely settle for simply hanging framed photos; there’s always an additional layer or dimension. Is it an effort to anchor the image in reality, giving it a tangible, tactile presence? Could this emphasis on the image as an object be your way of affirming that photography isn't just an ephemeral, abstract medium?

AL One topic that deeply interests me in this project is the media history of cartography — how cartography, alongside technologies like sonar, has evolved. First, visual technologies like sonar were developed, enabling the discovery of underwater resources. Then, legal frameworks were crafted to regulate their extraction. This progression underscores the responsibility tied to these technologies. The history of photography intersects with cartography, forming part of a broader graphical history.

Equally compelling is the collaborative element of shaping an exhibition. Texts by Stefanie and Irene contribute to the storytelling and public interaction, alongside the sculptural elements activated by the audience. The exhibition creates a physical landscape, allowing visitors to zoom in on micro-details — like bacteria or A4-sized legal documents — while also zooming out to view the cartography of the ocean and Earth as a whole. This interplay extends through time, from geological epochs to Cold War archives, colonial-era technologies, and contemporary protests. A single image can serve different contexts — journalistic or artistic — inviting the public to critically engage with it.

This process of continuously questioning how we interpret images, cartographies, texts, and graphical tools becomes a way to shape our vision of society.In this sense, the exhibition is not only a visual experience but a political and social act, prompting us to ask how we look — with which tools do we see and shape the world? Can we learn about the history of such tools and how they are used, so that we can imagine a collective future?

KOOZ Were there any particularly important narratives that, despite their significance, didn’t make it into the exhibition? How do these omissions relate to the broader questions about the direction of society raised by the project?

SH That’ process of editing is quite a significant challenge. It’s about distilling this vast, sprawling field into something both deep and broad enough to convey the complexity of these interconnected systems. At the same time, it needs to remain accessible and somewhat comprehensive for the audience. In Venice, we included a “lecture room” with additional video interviews totalling four hours in length, providing visitors who wanted to delve deeper with additional resources that went beyond the scope of the exhibition.

KOOZ Within the context of an academic institution, how did the politics of representation influence the balance between visual materials such as images, cartographies, and mapping, and other forms of documentation or presentation?

ALOne complexity is determining where certain life forms exist within the oceanic legal framework. For example, organisms living in the water column fall under the jurisdiction of Hugo Grotius’ Mare Liberum — a foundational legal text from the 17th century — whereas those residing on the seabed are regulated by UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). The exhibition features original copies of both documents, emphasising this duality. However, for species such as the bacteria found near hydrothermal vents (black smokers), the legal classification remains unclear. Do they belong to the water column under Mare Liberum, or to the seabed under UNCLOS? This uncertainty has necessitated the development of new legal frameworks.

These emerging regulations involve multiple industries. On one side, the pharmaceutical sector seeks to patent deep-sea biological organisms for medicinal development, while the mining industry targets rare minerals located near these hydrothermal vents. This ongoing legal negotiation reflects the broader tension between conservation and exploitation. Deep-sea mining remains a contentious issue, particularly in international waters, and will likely be a focal point for legal and environmental decisions in the coming years. These debates will shape the future of one of Earth’s last relatively undisturbed ecosystems — an ecosystem that continues to play a critical role in regulating global environmental stability amid the worsening climate crisis. There is still much to explore, especially regarding biological diversity, which is an area of particular interest for me.

IS What Armin is alluding to is that this research is not static — it continues to evolve, which makes it both challenging and exciting. None of us view this exhibition as a definitive conclusion to the project. There is always the opportunity to revisit historical material, some of which may be well established within the scientific community but holds great potential for interdisciplinary engagement. One of the most rewarding aspects has been bringing historical content to new audiences and framing it within present-day discussions. However, as Armin pointed out, this history remains alive — what is shown in the exhibition only represents part of the broader narratives at play.

SH The Mesobot is an intriguing addition, especially in relation to the mesopelagic region — or twilight zone — of the ocean, which has been receiving increased research attention due to its historically understudied nature. Advances in remotely operated vehicles and robotics have allowed scientists to explore this biologically crucial zone more effectively. It has also attracted interest from industries such as pharmaceuticals.

This ‘twilight zone’ was one of the new focal points for the Columbia GSAPP exhibition. What’s striking is how technological advancements, evolving research priorities, and industrial interests continuously shape and influence one another — a dynamic that has played out for centuries, as seen with Hugo Grotius’ Mare Liberum. The book's inclusion in the exhibition underscores how historical discussions around ocean governance, trade rights, and economic structures remain relevant to contemporary debates.

KOOZ This exhibition brings historical documentation beyond scientific institutions and into cultural and academic spaces, inviting new interpretations. How does this shift in perspective — positioning historical and scientific knowledge within the arts — expand its impact? Stefanie, you shared a beautiful quote by Rachel Carson, in which the power of the arts is described as unveiling and unraveling knowledge at a different pace and through different means. In relation to your curatorial practices, where does this leave institutions, whether artistic or academic? How does proximity between diverse documents and contexts empower different fields through conversation and dialogue?

IS Our approach to interdisciplinarity is free from rigid notions of expertise — whether someone is an architect, artist, or scientist — and is more invested in fostering communication and connection around shared experiences of the world. Whether that happens through an archival document, a film, or a building is secondary; what matters is that the discourse continues and that a range of perspectives become legible.

The visual arts play an essential role in this, allowing engagement with a broader audience. In an era of constant exposure to images and media, it’s crucial to recognise their power — not just as aesthetic objects but as tools of urgency and meaning beyond individual narratives. Some practices effectively activate these artistic resources in ways that extend beyond traditional formats.

SH I agree. The arts serve as a vital space where different disciplines intersect, allowing for new possibilities to emerge from their convergence. Years of research can be presented alongside images, fostering literacy in visual cultures and encouraging deeper engagement with how scientific aesthetics and research are framed. This exhibition reflects that process — inviting viewers to examine the images produced, question their meaning, and consider their role in shaping knowledge. Echoing Irene’s thoughts, I value dialogue between disciplines regardless of whether the contributors are artists, scientists, or practitioners from entirely different fields. Particularly in discussions on climate change and the Anthropocene, an interdisciplinary approach is crucial, whether through artistic research, oceanographic studies, or other knowledge systems.

The Rachel Carson reference also brings to mind the footnotes in the book, which were reversed — placed at the top, followed by text, and accompanied by a visual essay by Armin. This layering of thoughts is mirrored in the exhibition, where photographs and film are interwoven with texts by Irene and myself, alongside historical maps and documents. The emphasis is less on the disciplinary origins of these materials and more on what emerges through their interplay. The Arthur Ross Architecture Gallery, situated within an academic context, provides an ideal setting for this convergence. Universities foster environments where disciplinary boundaries are continually challenged, and this exhibition contributes to that momentum.

IS It’s quite reciprocal — not just in terms of curators and interdisciplinary choices but in how scientists engaged with the Ross Gallery version of the exhibition. I imagine it was similar in the prior research for ‘Prospecting Ocean’ that Armin and Stefanie conducted. There’s a recognition within the scientific community that their tools for conveying urgent information to the public can be limited. Not everyone is inclined to read reports filled with data or highly technical papers. This exhibition provided a unique opportunity for scientists to collaborate with experts outside their field to communicate a crucial message about the health of the oceans, the state of marine ecosystems, and broader environmental concerns.

KOOZ As Irene pointed out, exhibitions aren’t just about displaying images — they’re about constructing spatial relationships that put materials and ideas into dialogue. Armin, I would be eager to hear your perspective as a person who operates across different types of institutions.

AL Teaching photography over the past year has reinforced my understanding that it’s not just about producing an image — it’s about the entire engagement with the conditions in which a photograph is taken. Who is part of the network? From what position is the image framed? How does one negotiate access to the space being documented?

Once a photograph is produced, the real work begins. The challenge is breaking the notion that the photographer holds a privileged viewpoint, imposing a singular perspective onto the world. Instead, photography becomes a catalyst for collective inquiry. In the exhibition space, images are not presented as definitive statements but as invitations for dialogue. Working with other collaborators, the images perform questions rather than provide answers.

This extends beyond the production of photography to interrogating the medium itself — its history, its connection to industrial and social structures, and its role in representation. The artistic practice involves both the moment before and after the photograph is taken, using the medium as an excuse to initiate larger discussions and processes. Of course, this work cannot be done alone; that’s why collaborating with Irene and Stefanie was such an essential part of the project. Building partnerships, fostering collectives, and cultivating solidarity are integral to sustaining meaningful artistic inquiry.

Bios

Stefanie Hessler is the Director of Swiss Institute New York. Her work centers artists and ideas through new commissions, transdisciplinary collaborations, and experimental formats. At SI, Hessler co-curated Spora, which invites artists to transform the institution through “environmental institutional critique,” solo shows by Raven Chacon, Ali Cherri, and Lap-See Lam, as well as the East Village-wide exhibition Energies. Other recent and forthcoming exhibitions include Elevation 1049: Energies, Gstaad; Counterpublic 2026, St. Louis; Parcours, Art Basel; Sex Ecologies, Kunsthall Trondheim; the 17th Momenta Biennale, Montreal; Rising Tides, Gropius Bau, Berlin; Joan Jonas, Ocean Space, Venice; and the 6th Athens Biennale. Hessler is the author of Prospecting Ocean (MIT Press) and has edited over a dozen volumes. She was named among Apollo’s 40 under 40 and ArtReview’s Power 100.

Armin Linke works with photography and film by setting up processes that question the medium, its technologies, narrative structures and complicities within wider socio-political structures. Currently professor at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich , guest professor at ISIA Urbino, Linke was also an MIT Visual Arts Program research affiliate, guest professor at the IUAV Arts and Design University in Venice, professor of photography at the Karlsruhe University for Arts and Design, artist in residence at the KHI Florenz and guest artist at CERN Geneva. Linke’s installation Alpi won the special prize at the 2004 Venice Biennale of Architecture and Image Capital was awarded the Kubus.Sparda Art Prize in 2019. Recent solo exhibitions include: Image Capital (with Estelle Blaschke), Centre Pompidou, Paris, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, Eschborn/Frankfurt, MAST, Bologna, and Museum Folkwang, Essen, 2022-2023; Earth Indices. Processing the Anthropocene (with Giulia Bruno), HKW, Berlin, 2022.

Irene Sunwoo is the John H. Bryan Chair and Curator of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago. At the museum, she has curated solo exhibitions by Germane Barnes, Himali Singh Soin, and Jonathan Muecke, and steered a comprehensive reinstallation of the Architecture and Design collection galleries. From 2016 to 2021, she was Curator of the Arthur Ross Architecture Gallery and Director of Exhibitions at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Her exhibition program at Ross Gallery included Frida Escobedo: No. 9 (2017), Liam Young: New Romance (2017), Eternal Gradient: Arakawa and Madeline Gins (2018), Cooking Sections: Offsetted (2019); and Torkwase Dyson: 1919: Black Water (2019). Previously, she was Associate Curator of the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial (2015). An architectural historian, Sunwoo received a PhD from the Princeton University School of Architecture.