Exhibition design for The Living Sea

The Living Sea exhibition uses the extraordinary photographs of committed conservationist Hussain Aga Khan as a starting point to raise social awareness of the sublime beauty, complexity and fragility of life in the oceans. The eloquent narrative of the images serves as a starting point to inspire conversations about the global impact the oceans have on science, the wider environment and contemporary society as we face the climate crisis, species extinction and the destruction of nature, the theme of Hay Festival Segovia 2020.

Hussain explains that in his photography, he “lets the animals and trees speak for themselves and hopes that other people will see the beauty that I see”. His fascination with the underwater world began at the tender age of five when he discovered tropical fish. By the age of 12, he was sure that his future would be linked to environmental conservation. In 1996, he began taking photographs of wildlife in the Brazilian Amazon. His photographs have appeared in exhibitions in Kenya, the United States, France, Portugal and Switzerland, as well as in two books: Animal Voyage in 2004 and Diving into Wildlife in 2015. Hussain’s photographs have also illustrated blogs for National Geographic.

His fascination with photographing nature is a true reflection of his commitment to the conservation of the environment and its inhabitants. Through the Aga Khan Habitat Agency and the Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Environment Fund, Hussain Aga Khan has been involved in disaster risk reduction and natural resource management. He has been involved in several environmental projects, including tree planting in East Africa, biodiversity preservation in Asia, and research on climate change and water.

In 2014, he launched Focused on Nature, to “share his passion and personal mission for conservation, raise awareness and encourage viable initiatives on global issues that negatively impact the environment”. FON provides grants directly to organisations dedicated to protecting wildlife and conserving habitats. Hussain has made his entire collection of work available to FON to raise funds through the sale of limited edition prints and participation in exhibitions.

See other exhibitions by Hussain Aga Khan designed by Tau: