Boa Mistura turns 52 fishing boats into art to bring awareness to the plight of the parrotfish

Inspired by the natural design and shapes of the tropical parrotfish, these previously-rusty old boats now don a bright new exterior. The venture was another in a long line of community projects aimed to create “art as a tool for change” organized by the Madrid-based art collective Boa Mistura.

The Pepillo Salcedo village in the Dominican Republic has limited access to electricity and running water, and fishing is an essential facet of the economy and of life. Boa Mistura, who are known for...