Goa dives deep with immersive seaweed forest installation at Museum of Goa

MUMBAI: Goa is making waves without leaving dry land. From 24 to 30 January, the Museum of Goa will host Step into the Sea, a multi-disciplinary immersive installation that brings Goa’s little-known seaweed forests out of the water and into public view.

The installation offers audiences a rare chance to encounter one of the world’s oldest marine ecosystems. India is home to more than 800 known seaweed species, many forming dense underwater forests along its coast. In Goa, Sargassum seaweed forests bloom seasonally between November and March, quietly sustaining marine biodiversity while remaining largely invisible to everyday life.

Step into the Sea aims to change that. Conceptualised by The Good Ocean and Jolchhobi Collective, the project marks the first visual documentation of India’s seaweed forests. Using underwater cinematography, spatial soundscapes, projection mapping, live performance and narrative design, the installation recreates the sensation of swimming through a living seaweed forest off the Goan coast.

“Seaweed forests are among our oldest living ecosystems, yet they rarely enter public conversation,” says marine conservationist and The Good Ocean founder Gabriella D’Cruz. “This installation invites people to experience them not as abstract science, but as living systems that support our coastline and our wellbeing.”

The underwater visuals are led by filmmaker and cinematographer Nefertiti Titli of Jolchhobi Collective, with sound design by Pruthu Parab (Echologue) and immersive technology by creative technologist Priyanka Yadav (Poyo). Together, the team blends ecology with sensory storytelling, encouraging audiences to slow down and reconnect with the ocean as a living presence.

The installation opens on Friday, 24 January, with a ticketed live solo performance by Sushmit Sen, former lead guitarist of Indian Ocean. This marks the first public unveiling of the work, with tickets available on District.

From 25 to 30 January, Step into the Sea will be open to the public free of charge. The week will also feature free sessions including The Story of Seaweed, a series of storytelling events offering insight into the research, ecology and creative thinking behind the project.

By placing the ocean inside a museum, Step into the Sea bridges contemporary art, environmental research and public engagement making marine stories accessible well beyond academic or specialist spaces.

Step into the Sea runs at the Museum of Goa from 25 to 30 January 2026, 10 am to 6 pm. Entry is free.