Mangroves from the Water (MFTW) is an international art and environmental campaign that brings together artists, researchers, educators, community organisations, and environmental partners to celebrate, document, and advocate for the protection of mangrove ecosystems. Through exhibitions, workshops, performances, and interdisciplinary collaborations, the campaign fosters dialogue between art, culture, heritage, and environmental stewardship.

RAK from the Mangroves (2013) was the inaugural solo exhibition that marked the beginning of the project. It was held at the RAK National Museum in the United Arab Emirates.

This was followed by the Mangroves from the Water (MFTW) exhibition series, presented between 2015 and 2016 with support from the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency. The project culminated in the Mangroves Festival in 2017, organised in collaboration with the Umm Al Quwain (UAQ) authorities, UAE government agencies, cultural institutions, educational organisations, and community partners.

The campaign expanded internationally on International Mangrove Day, 26 July 2021, with a group exhibition and a series of workshops in Geelong, Australia, culminating on 18 August. The programme brought together Australian and international artists and was supported by a grant from the City of Greater Geelong in collaboration with the Sharjah Institute for Heritage.

In 2022, Mangroves from the Water was honoured to be part of the UAE’s art, culture, and environmental programme at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Mangroves from the Water also became the title of Dr Zahidah Zeytoun Millie’s doctoral research, for which she was awarded a PhD by Deakin University on 17 June 2025. The thesis both draws upon and contributes to the MFTW art and environmental campaign, bringing together the research and creative practice that underpin this long-standing body of work.

The most recent Mangroves from the Water exhibition was held on 24 April 2026 at the Barwon Heads Arts Hub, with support in part from the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority. The campaign raises awareness of the degradation of mangrove forests in Victoria, Australia, and encourages their care and protection through the visual arts, music, dance, poetry and film.

Aims of the Project

Mangroves from the Water aims to:

• encourage people to appreciate the beauty and ecological importance of mangroves;
• promote the protection of mangroves and wetlands worldwide, recognising their deep cultural and environmental connections with Indigenous peoples;
• encourage discussion about mangroves, seagrasses, and wetlands through exhibitions, public programmes, workshops, and community engagement;
• highlight both heritage and contemporary stories of mangroves as vital reference points for cultural identity, collective memory, and environmental stewardship; and
• cultivate an interconnected community of artists working across visual arts, poetry, music, dance, film and other creative practices, reflecting the living network of mangrove roots. Just as each root contributes to the strength of the whole ecosystem, each artistic voice offers a unique perspective, together creating a richer and more complete story of mangroves than any single medium could convey.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement, Mangroves from theWater continues to foster dialogue between art, culture, and the environment, inspiring greater appreciation, understanding, and protection of mangrove ecosystems.

Dr. Zahidah Zelda Zeytoun Millie

Mangroves from the Water Founder & Curator

www.zahidahart.com

www.mangrovesfromthewater.com

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