About the Episode:

This Winter Solstice, a moment of stillness and deep listening, we are honoured to share something truly special with you.

Today’s episode is a recording of the As Above, So Below panel, held during One Ocean Week Milan 2025 and graciously hosted by the One Ocean Foundation. It is a gathering of voices that remind us that wisdom does not only live in books or laboratories, but in memory, in lineage, and in the living world itself. You will hear from Johanna Maggy and Anahita Babaei, whose practices are rooted in indigenous wisdom and ancestral ways of knowing. Together, they speak of ancient traditions that understand the world as an interconnected whole, where sky and sea, body and spirit, human and more-than-human are in constant dialogue. At the heart of this conversation are the whales: gentle, gigantic beings who carry the songs of the ocean and the memory of deep time. They invite us to listen differently, to remember our place within the web of life, and to move with greater reverence, humility, and care. As we mark the turning of the light on this Winter Solstice, may this episode offer a moment of reflection, reconnection, and quiet awe - an invitation to align what is within us with what surrounds us - above, below and within.

The Speaker:

Johanna Maggy, born and raised in Iceland, is a holistic coach and advocate for a future rooted in Indigenous wisdom.

Anahita Babaei, an Iranian artist and independent filmmaker, co-founder Hvalavinir.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

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About the Episode:

We are honored to feature Shweta Naik guiding a meditation titled The Living Field, a heartfelt tribute to Dr. Jane Goodall. This meditation invites you to experience a deep sense of interconnectedness - with the oceans, wildlife and the delicate balance of life on Earth. Shweta Naik, environmental advocate, regenerative futurist, and Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute India, has worked closely with Dr. Goodall on initiatives such as Oceans Are Us and inspiring Roots & Shoots programs that empower young people to care for the planet. World-renowned for her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees and her lifelong commitment to conservation, Dr. Jane Goodall has also been a passionate voice for ocean health and the unity of all living beings. Through Shweta’s guidance, we invite you to connect with nature, embrace our shared responsibility for the Earth, and honor Dr. Goodall’s extraordinary legacy.

The Speaker:

Shweta Naik is an environmental advocate, regenerative futurist, Executive Director at the Jane Goodall Institute India and a member of UNESCO’s Ocean Literacy Group of Experts. She focuses on Dr. Goodall’s innovative Oceans Are Us and Roots & Shoots projects. She is instrumental in launching programs like Blue Schools, which aim to educate and empower communities about ocean conservation, biodiversity, and sustainable practices. Through her work and personal experience with Dr. Goodall, Shweta creates initiatives and experiences that connect people to nature, inspire mindful reflection, and honor the legacy of Dr. Jane Goodall.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

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About this episode:

As AI and robotics advance at breakneck speed, are we on the verge of crisis — or the brink of a new kind of understanding?

In an era of vanishing ecosystems, will machines help us feel what we’re losing — or simply record the moment it disappears?

Could a neural network truly remember a forest, or dream of one burning?

In this episode, Refik Anadol joins us for a rare, deeply personal conversation on the future of creativity, the ethics of artificial intelligence, and the role of the artist in an age defined by urgency, acceleration, and imagination.

We speak about his concept of cognitive environments, how data has become a material for memory and meaning, and why he believes light is a divine medium. From creating large-scale immersive works like Glacier Dreams and Living Archive: Nature, to collaborating with the Yawanawá people of the Amazon, Anadol shares what it means to build honest, impact-driven practice in the age of climate crisis and machine learning.

We explore why he refuses traditional art-world boundaries, what he learned from gathering over half a billion images of nature, and why he sees AI not as a threat, but as a mirror - one that reflects back the best or worst of humanity, depending on how we shape it.

The conversation ends on a note of cautious optimism: for Anadol, this moment of technological transformation is nothing less than a new kind of renaissance a one that calls not only for innovation, but for responsibility, transparency, and a deeper commitment to healing, both planetary and personal.

The Speaker:

Refik Anadol (b. 1985, Istanbul, Turkey) is an internationally renowned media artist, director, and pioneer in the aesthetics of data and machine intelligence. He is the Director and co-founder of Refik Anadol Studio in Los Angeles and teaches at UCLA’s Department of Design Media Arts from which he obtained a Master of Fine Arts. Refik Anadol Studio brings together a globally diverse team of designers, architects, data scientists, and researchers—originating from 10 countries and fluent in 15 languages—who share a deep commitment to inclusion, equity, and cross-cultural collaboration at every stage of artistic production. Anadol is also the co-founder of Dataland, the world’s first Museum of AI Arts.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

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About this episode:

What would a jellyfish teach us if we were willing to listen?

In this episode we plunge into a poetic and philosophical conversation with Daniela Zyman, Artistic Director of TBA21–Academy and author of The Laughter of the Jellyfish, about the transformative power of counter-education, the ontological conflicts of our time, and the ways art can serve as a mediating force between knowledge, policy, and planetary urgency. A leading voice in contemporary curatorial practice, Zyman reflects on the role of culture in the face of ecological, political, and epistemic collapse.

Our conversation explores how art can operate as a space for resistance and re-imagination—intervening in science, influencing policy, and challenging dominant narratives of knowledge production. We speak about her notion of counter-research and counter-knowledge, her collaborations with transdisciplinary artists and Indigenous communities, and her belief in the power of radical imagination.

Guided by the metaphor of the jellyfish - fluid, ancient, and radically embodied—we explore how to unlearn the rigid binaries of modernity and float toward more entangled, relational ways of knowing. Drawing from the work of Bruno Latour, Nancy Fraser, Allan Sekula, Armin Linke, hydrofeminist ethics and decades of curatorial practice, Daniela shares her reflections on the shifting role of culture in a world facing ecological, spiritual, and cognitive fragmentation. How can cultural institutions help us navigate a time when even the future feels endangered?

The Speaker:

Daniela Zyman is a curator, writer, and the long-time Artistic Director of TBA21 (Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary), one of the world’s most pioneering foundations working at the intersection of contemporary art, environmental consciousness, and cultural diplomacy. With a background in philosophy, religious studies, and political science, Zyman has curated and co-developed transdisciplinary programs that bridge contemporary art, indigenous knowledge, oceanic research, and critical theory. She is the conceptual force behind many of TBA21–Academy’s landmark initiatives, including The Current, a fellowship program for artists and researchers aboard expeditionary vessels and coastal residencies. Zyman’s work is rooted in counter-hegemonic pedagogy, posthuman ethics, and the cultivation of what she calls “curatorial listening”—a form of sensing-with the world, not from above it. She has collaborated with artists such as Amar Kanwar, Joan Jonas and many others.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

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About this episode:

In this episode we’re traveling far beyond the edges of the familiar. Past the shorelines, beyond the deep blues, and into the stark white silence of the polar frontiers. Our guest Christian Clauwers doesn’t just witness the Earth’s most fragile places — he tells their stories through stillness, exploring the fragile ecosystems.

The Speaker:

Christian Clauwers is a Belgian photographer, explorer and environmental storyteller. His work has taken him aboard scientific vessels to the Arctic, the Antarctic, and across the world’s oceans. His lens captures what words often fail to express — the raw power, beauty, and vulnerability of our planet’s last wild places. As an adventurer, Clauwers has traveled to the polar extremes of our planet—from 81° North to 78° South—and has explored over 114 countries across all seven continents. He has sailed all five oceans, reaching some of the world's most remote and uncharted islands.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

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About this episode:

On the occasion of the opening of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference, kicking it off with multidisciplinary artist Antoine Bertin's creative presentation and listening session Hearing Above From Below curated by us, we are thrilled to release a conversation with this leading voice in contemporary sound art whose immersive installations merge science, field recording, and storytelling. From Tate Britain to NTS Radio, Bertin’s work invites us to rethink our sensory relationship with nature—particularly the sonic landscapes we rarely hear, like the depths of the ocean.

We explore how his background in sound engineering and education at the London College of Communication shaped his artistic process. He takes us inside his creative journey—from collecting raw data and underwater field recordings to transforming them into contemplative soundscapes that resonate with themes of environmental change and human perception.

In the context of the UN Ocean Decade, Antoine also reflects on cross-sectoral collaboration for ocean sustainability, including his recent participation in the exhibition Becoming Ocean: a social conversation about the Ocean at Villa Arson presented by TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary and Tara Ocean Foundation, part of the program for the Nice Biennial of Arts and the Ocean during the UN Ocean Conference in Nice. As well, part of the Sentiment Océanique exhibition at Nice's Fort du Mont Alban. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in eco-acoustics, immersive sound art, climate storytelling, and the evolving role of artists in the Anthropocene. *We are delighted to announce Antoine Bertin is going to be one of the artists in residency of As Above, So Below.

The Speaker:

Antoine Bertin is an European artist working at the intersection of science and sensory immersion, field recording and sound storytelling, data and music composition. His creations take the form of listening experiences, immersive moments and audio meditations exploring our relationships with the living world. His work has been presented at Tate Britain, Palais de Tokyo, Serpentine Gallery, and others. He produces a quarterly show called “Edge of the Forest” on NTS radio weaving together field recordings, data sonifications and science inspired meditations.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

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About this episode:

On this Earth Day we are delighted to release our conversation with leading marine scientist and climate expert Dr. Deborah Brosnan, spearheading the project OceanShot. Dr. Brosnan shares with us more about regenerating marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass, the importance of Small Island Nations and her view on the role of collaborations for a thriving blue economy. As well she explains more about the Nature-Based Solutions, benefiting biodiversity and human well-being, why investing in them, referring to them, and as the ''original technology'', inviting us to explore our intricate connection to the ocean and the natural world.

*Nature Based Solutions refer to a collection of actions and policies that harness the power of nature to protect and restore ecosystems while addressing societal challenges to simultaneously safeguard human well-being and biodiversity.

The Speaker:

Dr. Deborah Brosnan is a globally recognized marine scientist, environmental entrepreneur and climate-risk expert. She works worldwide to create innovative solutions to environmental and climate risks, that support ecosystems, business, communities and governments. Dr. Brosnan is leading the OceanShot initiative.

About OceanShot:

OceanShot leverages nature’s services - designing, building and deploying living reefs to protect coasts, communities, properties and investments and to restore biodiversity. Their a approach is science-based, practical, scalable and transferable. OceanShot is currently underway in the Caribbean, having deployed test reefs and with others underway. Small Island Nations (SIDS) face some of the greatest risks. OceanShot is now building the John Paul DeJoria Ocean Innovation Lab on Antigua and Barbuda to advance the platform, deploy AI and other technology, and provide local opportunities and collaborations.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

Host: Jan Pachner, One Ocean Foundation & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

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About the episode:

In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to sit down with Jakob Kudsk Steensen, a visionary Danish artist whose groundbreaking work fuses environmental storytelling with virtual reality, video games, sound, and immersive 3D environments. Known for transforming Berlin’s iconic Berghain nightclub into an eerie digital swamp with Berl-Berl, exhibiting at the Venice Biennale as a Future Generation Art Prize finalist, and collaborating with global sensations like BTS and musician Arca, Jakob reimagines lost ecosystems and overlooked natural phenomena to deepen our connection to the world around us. His 2025 commissions, Boreal Dreams at Fondation Beyeler and Psychosphere at Cisternerne Denmark, promise to push the boundaries of art and technology even further.

We dive into how Jakob’s digital realms—crafted through extensive fieldwork and partnerships with biologists, composers, and writers—might bring us closer to nature in an age of disconnection. He shares his thoughts on whether artists can act as agents of change amidst today’s uncertainty, distorted truths, and environmental crises, and reflects on how cross-sectoral collaborations fuel his innovative creativity. Plus, Jakob speaks about the importance of the deep sea and reveals the subject he’s currently investigating, offering a glimpse into what’s at the forefront of his mind right now. Join us for a captivating conversation that bridges art, ecology, and the virtual frontier!

The speaker:

Jakob Kudsk Steensen is a Danish artist working with environmental storytelling through video games, VR, sound installations and immersive environments. He creates poetic interpretations about overlooked natural phenomena through collaborations with field biologists, composers and writers.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

Host: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

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About the episode:

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Helen Czerski, an extraordinary physicist, oceanographer, and leading voice in science communication. Dr. Czerski’s groundbreaking research focuses on the physics of breaking waves and bubbles at the ocean’s surface—key processes that connect the ocean and atmosphere in ways that shape life on Earth. As an Associate Professor at University College London and a field researcher in oceans across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, Helen brings unparalleled expertise to the conversation.

Helen is also a celebrated author, and her latest book, The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World, has been hailed as an essential read for understanding the ocean’s vital role in sustaining life on Earth. Praised by Kirkus Reviews as a compelling read for science buffs and ocean enthusiasts' and celebrated by The Arts Desk for its seamless blend of science and storytelling, The Blue Machine offers a captivating exploration of the ocean’s profound influence on our planet.

In this episode, Helen delves into the hidden physical processes of the ocean and reveals how this immense, dynamic system drives life on Earth. Together, we discuss her approach to making complex science accessible, the urgent global water crisis, and the pivotal role the ocean plays in addressing climate change and conservation.

This conversation is an invitation to dive into the interconnected wonders of our blue planet—and a reminder of why The Blue Machine is an essential read for anyone who seeks to understand it.

The speaker:

Dr. Helen Czerski is a physicist and oceanographer based at University College London. Her scientific research focuses on the physics of breaking waves and bubbles at the ocean surface, and how they help the ocean breathe. She is also a writer and broadcaster, including as a regular presenter of radio and tv science programmes for the BBC since 2010. She has received the Institute of Physics Gold Medal (2018), the Marine Pioneer Award from Jacksonville University, and an honorary doctorate from the University of East Anglia. Her most recent book, Blue Machine, tells the story of Earth’s ocean engine.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

Host: Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19

Co-host: Jan Pachner, One Ocean Foundation

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About the episode:

In this episode we have the pleasure to meet Vincent Doumeizel, a Senior Advisor on the oceans to the United Nations Global Compact, a co-leader of the Seaweed Coalition and an author of the insightful book The Seaweed Revolution. In this positive conversation Vincent tells us how seaweed has shaped our past and can save our future and what are the natural big scale opportunities it provides for tackling Climate Change, making us reconsider our relationship with this forgotten treasure and a source of hope. As well, Vincent shares more about his newly launched Plankton Manifesto - a call for plankton-based solutions to address the Triple Planetary Crisis (biodiversity, climate & pollution), and about his participation at The Earthshot Prize 2024.

The speaker:

Vincent Doumeizel is a Senior Advisor at the UN Global Compact for Oceans, founder of the Global Seaweed Coalition, and author of The Seaweed Revolution and The Plankton Manifesto.

During Earthshot Week 2024, in partnership with the Global Seaweed Coalition, two pivotal events were held that brought together key stakeholders in the sustainable seaweed industry. Hosted by Vincent Doumeizel and Chris Large, Director for Prize and Portfolio at The Earthshot Prize, the event demonstrated that incredible work is already underway to drive the seaweed sector forward.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

Host: Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

Co-host: Jan Pachner, One Ocean Foundation

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