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Caribbean | 2021 | Graphic Novel
Sargassum, Story of a Brown Tide
In the Caribbean, a collective of artists, journalists, and researchers give a voice to the populations to create a graphic narrative about sargassum seaweed.
Sargassum, Story of a Brown Tide
A Brown Tide Over the Caribbean
For about fifteen years, sargassum seaweed has been invading the Caribbean coasts. The brown algae wash up massively on beaches and coastal areas, and their decomposition generates toxic gases. This phenomenon presents a triple threat: health, environmental, and economic. An international conference was held in Guadeloupe in 2019, bringing together various countries from the region to conduct scientific studies and develop common solutions at a regional scale.
Artist
Jessica Oublié, Ulises Jauregui
Jessica Oublié, Ulises Jauregui
Partners
Alliance Française, Cultural Affairs Departments
Alliance Française, Cultural Affairs Departments
Participants
Population of the Caribbean arc, Political decision-makers
Population of the Caribbean arc, Political decision-makers
Agency
AFD Dominican Republic
AFD Dominican Republic
Bubbles Against Seaweed
3
territories involved: Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, and Martinique
8000
A graphic novel published with 8,000 copies
4
languages
Why are these algae proliferating? What are their effects on health? What are the environmental consequences? What solutions can be implemented to combat them? Illustrator Jessica Oublié and Cuban researcher Ulises Jauregui initiated a collaborative comic book creation project addressing the issue of sargassum. Following a call for projects, in partnership with the Alliance Française and Cultural Affairs Departments, three teams of actors from Guadeloupe, Martinique, and the Dominican Republic—nine illustrators, researchers, and journalists—were selected. They met with local populations and civil society to give them a voice on this issue. Thanks to these encounters, everyone was emotionally involved and collaboratively engaged in an artistic project that concerns their territories. The artists, journalists, and researchers enriched their approaches and perspectives on the subject.
The graphic novel Sargassum, Story of a Brown Tide tells the stories of Caribbean populations through documentary reportage, tales, or fiction.
Published in 8,000 copies and translated into four languages, the graphic novel is distributed throughout the region, from Venezuela to the Dominican Republic, including Guadeloupe and Mexico. The proceeds from sales have enabled the creation of a support fund for awareness-raising and prevention regarding the sargassum issue.
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