Jersey artwork makes a splash in international fish-themed exhibit

Wednesday 13 September 2023

Jersey has been featured in a fish-themed collaborative art exhibition which hopes to highlight the fragility of global aquatic ecosystems and the shared responsibility for their preservation.

German artist Andreas Petzold's collaborative exhibition involves artists from islands around the world, including Jersey and Guernsey.

In March, the artist – who is from Föhr Island in the North Sea – extended his invitation to Channel Islands artists, encouraging them to submit fish-themed artwork for display in his studio gallery.

Pictured: Mr Petzol's pop-up gallery in Föhr Island in the North Sea.

This collaborative initiative gradually evolved into a vibrant collective artwork, featuring fish representations from various islands around the world including the Shetland Islands, and even as far as Curacao.

The completed exhibition conveys the delicate nature of our planet's aquatic environments, transcending geographical boundaries and emphasising the shared responsibility for their protection.

Mr Petzol described the Jersey fish as a "particularly fine" example.

The artist creatively utilised the 80 panes of a music pavilion in Wyk on Föhr as both canvas and frame, providing a platform for the huge range of fish designs.

The exhibition also featured work from Jonathan Meese, a German painter, sculptor, performance artist and installation artist.

Mr Petzold hopes that his project will demonstrate how art can foster global discussion and engagement on pressing environmental issues, and reinforce the message of preserving our invaluable aquatic ecosystems.