Museum of Goa to Host ‘Step into the Sea’, an Immersive Installation Exploring Goa’s Mystical Seaweed Forests

The Museum of Goa (MOG) will host Step into the Sea, a groundbreaking multidisciplinary immersive installation that brings the hidden underwater seaweed forests of Goa into public view. Running from January 24 to January 30, 2026, the week-long exhibition offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience one of the world’s oldest and least understood marine ecosystems—without ever entering the water.

India is home to more than 800 documented species of seaweed, many forming dense underwater forests along its coastlines. In Goa, Sargassum seaweed forests bloom seasonally between November and March, creating vital habitats that support marine biodiversity and coastal health. Despite their ecological importance, these forests remain largely invisible to the public eye. Step into the Sea aims to change that.

An Immersive Journey Into an Ancient Marine Ecosystem

Conceptualised by marine conservation initiative The Good Ocean and visual arts collective Jolchhobi, Step into the Sea marks the first-ever visual documentation of India’s seaweed forests. The installation in Goa transforms years of underwater research and cinematography into an immersive sensory experience using projection mapping, spatial soundscapes, narrative, and live performance.

Visitors are invited to move through a carefully designed environment that recreates the sensation of swimming through a living seaweed forest off the Goan coast. Through shifting light, sound, and motion, the installation translates the underwater world into an accessible encounter on land.

“Seaweed forests are among our oldest living ecosystems, yet they remain largely invisible in public discourse,” said Gabriella D’Cruz, marine conservationist and founder of The Good Ocean. “This installation is an invitation to experience these underwater worlds not as abstract concepts, but as living systems that quietly support our coastline and our wellbeing.”

Museum of Goa to Host ‘Step into the Sea’

Blending Art, Technology, and Marine Science

At the heart of the installation is underwater work led by Nefertiti Titli, filmmaker, underwater cinematographer, and founder of Jolchhobi, whose practice explores the intersections of ecology, movement, and film. Sound design is by Pruthu Parab of Echologue, while creative technologist Priyanka Yadav (Poyo) brings expertise in immersive technologies to the project.

“Our intention is not just to show the ocean, but to translate what it feels like to be in communication with it,” said Titli. “Through light, sound, and movement, Step into the Sea invites audiences to slow down and encounter the ocean as an intelligent, living presence essential to our existence.”

Opening Night Performance and Public Programming

The installation will be unveiled on Friday, January 24, with a ticketed opening-night live solo performance by renowned guitarist Sushmit Sen, former lead guitarist and founder of Indian Ocean. Tickets for the opening night are available on District.

From January 25 to January 30, Step into the Sea will be open to the public free of charge at the Museum of Goa. The week will also feature curated public sessions, including storytelling events titled The Story of Seaweed, offering deeper insights into the research, ecology, and creative processes behind the installation.

By situating the ocean within a museum space, Step into the Sea bridges contemporary art, environmental research, and public engagement—making marine narratives accessible beyond academic circles.