Chimeras… fascinating creatures of ancient mythology, are human compositions between two species that often lead to quite surprising results! A bull, a horse or even a lion has been associated with a human body in order to reveal to us marvelous stories generally provided with morals. It is in a desire to continue this literary allegory that I merge the faces of two animals, namely the Human and the Coral.

We Are Corals is an artistic concept created in 2016 by photographer and marine biologist Martin Colognoli. This project aims to raise awareness about the current condition of coral.

This awareness campaign invites us to become aware of our relationship with living organisms and the importance of marine ecosystems for our organisms. Let’s not hide our faces any longer and accept the uncertain reality of fragile environments on our faces.

The principle of symbiosis is well known to coral, since it is the basis of its functioning. It is the same for the photographs that combine coral and human face.

Blending art and science, reality and imagination, We Are Corals deals with the contradictions and similarities between Coral and Human, offering a journey through time to the origins of animal life.

The first form of coral appeared more than 500 million years ago. The human of the genus Homo has existed for about 2.8 million years and the appearance of modern humans(Homo sapiens)is estimated to be about 120,000 years old. This association voluntarily pushes us to think about the necessity of inter-species links. Corals reveal the very ancient origin of our genes and constitute an interesting model for the study of human evolution and development.

Coral is threatened worldwide. Its disappearance would be a real planetary catastrophe for humans who depend on it either directly or indirectly. It is essential to act in the face of an increasingly urgent situation.

The goal is to involve ambassadors in supporting this cause to merge them with a coral and give a global scope to the awareness of the vital need of the coral.