When it comes to the ocean, we have heard far too many sobering statistics: hundreds of thousands of tons of fishing nets are abandoned on the seabed every year, and countless marine creatures die from entanglement…
Faced with this reality, beyond silence and sighs, we wanted to try another way.
On August 15, National Ecology Day, we co-hosted a "Ghost Nets x Fabric Collage" workshop with the Museum of Art Pudong (MAP). We brought those "ghost nets" from the bottom of the sea to the workshop table, allowing participants to touch the rough netting with their own hands and, through cutting and collaging, learn the stories of the ocean.
This was also an extension of the currently running exhibition "Carolina Caycedo: Salute of the Whales." Only with understanding can there be care. Through hands-on making, we hoped to bridge the distance between us city dwellers and the ocean, turning distant concern into tangible engagement.
A Step "Before the Net": Getting to Know the Ocean First
Before diving into DIY, we first needed to understand — who exactly lives in that blue expanse that covers seventy percent of our planet? And what are they going through?
So we began with the long, mysterious songs of humpback whales, speaking of those colossal beings we may never have seen yet have truly roamed this planet for millions of years. We also talked about the protagonist of this workshop — "ghost nets." These abandoned nets do not disappear; for decades on end, they entangle, trap, and kill. And what about those tiny but deadly plastic fragments — what do they ultimately become, and where do they linger?
As understanding deepened, the meaning of the craft quietly shifted — it was no longer merely cutting and pasting. Every snip of the scissors now had direction: transforming a lamp into a sea.
Now, let's take a look — what exactly is in everyone's "creative ocean"?
Inside the "Net": Nothing But Surprises
The answer might surprise you! In everyone's nets, there are not only elegant whales and schools of clownfish — you can also spot, right there on the fishing net lampshades, participants' very own cats and dogs!
Tiny pearls and shells were scattered casually across the net's mesh. When the light shines through, they sparkle — as if they were treasure fragments salvaged from a deep-sea shipwreck, brimming with stories and mystery.
Look up again — and wow, a deep-sea pineapple house appears! SpongeBob's friends can be found in a corner of the lampshade.
From whales to "Bikini Bottom," from deep-sea giants to childhood memories — under everyone's creativity, discarded fishing nets are no longer just cold "killers." They have been reimagined with color and warmth.
Fear was gently dissolved, and what emerged was everyone's tenderest care for the ocean.
So, looking back — hope is the final "hidden undertone" of this workshop. Discarded fishing nets can be cut apart, reshaped, and lit up — and the sea within our hearts can also be seen, cherished, and protected.
Every participant, in their own way, wrote a tender love letter to the ocean. Even a single stitch, even a small fabric fish, is enough to add a little more clarity to this world. These works cannot speak, but they say many important things for us — about the ocean, about life, about the bond we cannot let go of between ourselves and that blue expanse.
Shanghai Roots & Shoots has walked this path for nearly three decades, witnessing countless hands move from hesitation to resolve, watching seeds sprout, saplings grow, and species return. We have always believed that the best relationship between humans and nature is not one of extraction, nor one of protection — but of growing together.
We hope you'll be there next time!
Special thanks to: Museum of Art Pudong (MAP)