How do humans adapt to changing ecologies and species crossing boundaries? The Drift of the Alien examines climate change, species migration and ecological disruption, focusing on the Mediterranean Sea, where lionfish, once native to the Indo-Pacific, have become unstoppable.

Unintentionally transported by human-made canals and warming waters, lionfish have spread rapidly in the absence of predators, transforming ecosystems. In their original habitat, lionfish were rarely eaten because of their venomous spines and limited availability, but in the Mediterranean, fishing and consumption are encouraged.

The installation, with a community dinner, invites visitors to taste the fish, hear the species’ story, and reflect on ecological shifts. Recipes serve as living archives, recalling abundance and embracing inevitability, representing acts of care, mourning and coexistence with the sea, its inhabitants and ourselves. Combining storytelling, science and ritual, the project asks, “What does the alien want?” and what that reveals about us.