1 of 5 winning entries for AR.T for the Ocean, an augmented reality art competition co-organised by The MeshMinds Foundation and Coastal Natives, and supported by Artivive.

This artwork draws inspiration from L’Inconnue de la Seine (The Stranger of the Seine), an unidentified young woman whose putative death mask became a ubiquitous home fixture in the Victoria era. It was said her beauty was so hauntingly enchanting that the morgue pathologist commissioned a plaster impression of her face to eternalise her beauty. The mask was used for modern day first-aid mannequin for imparting lifesaving CPR knowledge.

The Stranger of the Sea aims to highlight the beauty of our oceans, through the depiction of a death mask composed of various marine animal skeletons and coral reefs, ironically highlighting our ecosystem’s fragility. The skeletons act as memento mori for endangered marine species threatened by human activities such as overfishing and pollution. Their carefully arranged layout is the artist’s way of honouring their memory and keeping their spirits close to our hearts and minds. Similar to how the young, French lady is now regarded as the face of CPR, the artist sought to convey this artwork as something ultimately positive and helpful. When viewed under educational lens, the artwork is a tool for learning, offering insight into the marine animals’ anatomy, physiology, and evolution.

Aquatic species featured include the manta ray, blue whale, sea turtle, coral reefs, Antarctic krill, sawfish and bluefin tuna. Dream-like sea creature animation is shown when artwork is scanned with Artivive mobile app.