Art with a heart: Selina Faimalo – Sea Signals Street art Festival Director | Flare
This month’s Ōtautahi street art festival highlights ocean conservation.
Ispend a lot of time staring at walls. Not in a ‘lost my mind’ way, in a “what if this could mean something?” way.
That’s how Sea Signals came to life. It’s Flare’s ocean-themed street art project popping up across Ōtautahi until 28 February, turning blank walls into big, bold reminders that the moana is doing a lot right now, and not all of it is great. The project is a collaboration with PangeaSeed Foundation and Watch This Space, bringing together global experience and local roots.
The thing about street art is you don’t have to opt in. There’s no gallery opening or awkward wine-holding. You’re just walking to get a coffee and suddenly, boom, a mural about ocean acidification or climate resilience is staring back at you. Unexpected. Slightly confronting. Beautiful.
Sea Signals brings together local and international artists to translate complex environmental stuff into visuals that actually land. This project isn’t about guilt or grand gestures. It’s about connection. About remembering that Christchurch is a coastal city, that the ocean shapes who we are, and that looking after it isn’t just for scientists or policymakers, it’s for all of us.
To keep that conversation going, pop into the Flare Art Co-op, our gallery and studio space at The Crossing. It’s where street art lives off the wall, artists are supported, and all are welcome.
If a mural makes you pause, think, or even just look up from your phone for a second, I’ll take that as a win.
