Viewing For All At Last Return

The BALTIC’s group exhibition For All At Last Return is an immersive and reflective exploration of our complex and urgent relationship with the world’s marine ecosystems. Free to visit, the group show brings together works by British and international artists working at the intersection of art, ecology and science to investigate habitats from intertidal zones and coral reefs to the open ocean and deep sea, including Shezad Dawood, Joan Jonas, Otobong Nkanga and Monia al Qadiri.

Many of these artists have collaborated with marine biologists, oceanographers and researchers, drawing attention to the impact of human activities – from climate change to overfishing – on ocean life and fragile aquatic communities. Across photography, video, sculpture, installation and experimental media, For All At Last Return invites audiences on a global journey beneath the waves, from familiar coastal waters to remote and often unseen underwater worlds. Works respond to both scientific knowledge and lived experience, with some addressing ecological degradation and others imagining possibilities for regeneration and resilience.

The exhibition’s title is inspired by the writings of marine biologist Rachel Carson, signalling a broader cultural reflection on our place within oceanic systems and how we might better care for these vast, interconnected environments. For All At Last Return stands as both an artistic and ecological manifesto, urging deeper engagement with the seas that cover more than 70 % of our planet.