For her part, Hana Fasenakht, Deputy Head of the Swiss Embassy Mission, explained that "Voices of Coral" is linked to scientific cooperation between Jordan and Switzerland through the "Transboundary Red Sea Center" (TRSC), which works on studying coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba.
She added that the inclusion of the Aqaba Marine Reserve on the UNESCO World Heritage List was an important milestone in highlighting the exceptional value of the coral ecosystem in Aqaba, emphasizing the importance of transferring scientific knowledge from the laboratory to the community through art and storytelling.
For his part, Nasser Al-Zowaideh, Director of the Aqaba Marine Reserve, explained that the second season came after the large turnout witnessed by the first season, pointing out that "Voices of Coral" combines environmental and tourist dimensions by raising awareness of the importance of coral reefs and introducing the reserve, in addition to promoting Aqaba as a tourist and environmental destination.
He added that the current season involves 12 Jordanian and Swiss artists who will undergo an artistic experience to transform their experiences and knowledge of the marine environment into artistic works and visual stories that reach a wider audience, especially young people, noting that the exhibition will open its doors to citizens in Aqaba Castle after the completion of the artworks, allowing the public to learn about the coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba through the participating works.
The launch ceremony of the second season was attended by Mike Derderian, founder of the "Fanzine" comics magazine, and Samuel Garda, Director General of the "Transboundary Red Sea Center" at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, along with a number of interested parties in Aqaba.
