‘Social sculpture’ on the sand in Laguna Beach reflects on Art+Nature

The bodies formed a powerful message on the sand.

The “social sculpture” created in Laguna Beach on Sunday, Nov. 9, was a first-of-its-kind art installation for the Laguna Art Museum that used humans to form an “SOS” message in Morse code on the sand, a way to draw attention to “Save Our Seas.”

Organizers were expecting several hundred people for the gathering at Main Beach, each tasked with holding mirrors to reflect the ocean and the sky as part of the installation, a part of this year’s Art+Nature exhibition put on by the nearby museum.

The project is the brainchild of San Francisco artist Ana Theresa Fernández, who wanted to use “light language” and humans to be a voice for the sea.

The effort was filmed and a video and photographs are planned for display at the museum at a later date.  The final activity of the week of museum events in connection with Art+Nature will be a paddle out at 10 a.m. on Nov. 10 from Main Beach.

Art+Nature is the museum’s signature initiative that happens each year in November to celebrate the interaction between art and nature.

Each year, an artist is commissioned to do an outdoor installation at Main Beach or Heisler Park.

Art+Nature kicked off on Nov. 1 with a sustainable fashion show, and there have been indoor and outdoor exhibitions, immersive activities, a swim presentation and several more events.

The museum will have free entry all November.

For more information, visit lagunaartmuseum.org