Do we need climate change art?
I would say we do. Art inspires people to think beyond their experience and grasp the implications of trends. It also motivates people emotionally in a way that scientific analysis can be hard-pressed to do. (Indeed, does only by accident, since scientific reports are not written to evoke emotional responses.)
Has any important climate change art emerged? (Weird sculpture outside 111 Sussex aside) Is there a danger that art that plays upon the worst fears evoked by climate science will be counterproductive? Can art help us to really grasp the danger, without the need for costly disasters to prove the link from greenhouse gasses to climate change to danger to humanity?
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, I don’t know about climate change art, but I love your photo of the day here.
Thanks!
It’s on the eastern sidewalk of Booth Street, near the Chaudiere Bridge.
I think you are right-on in your account of the function of art. The only thing I would add is to emphasize “beyond experience” to include enlarging, or en-richening experience. I don’t know much about the contemporary art scene with respect to climate change, but would be interested to see contemporary works reckoning with this issue. In general I’m under the impression that whereas previous environmental art and concepts emphasised fragility (i.e. spaceship earth), the next/current phase will stress responsibility, stewardship, gravitas – like this for example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Responsibility
This blog might be a place to start: http://blog.greenmuseum.org/blog/
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2009
Eco-art: an exploration
Thanks to Milan Ilnyckyj, whose blog on climate change art blazed this trail. I spent a couple of hours chasing links and looking up old notes — but this is only a sampling. Suggest other links in your comments.
The V&A design exhibition ‘Telling Tales’ had at least a few pieces commenting on man’s relationship with the environment and climate change. I seem to remember a lot of other UK stuff vaguely but would have to hunt for examples.
Love that shot btw :)
At Glastonbury Festival this year, in the Children’s area, kids had been busy on an art project where they turned recycled objects into minature wind-turbines, which together created a mini-wind farm.
Lamp that runs on human blood
By Cory Doctorow on Green
Mike Thompson’s “Blood Lamp” is a single-use lantern that draws its energy from a drop of your blood, making you consider the cost of energy in a uniquely personal way.
For the lamp to work one breaks the top off, dissolves the tablet, and uses their own blood to power a simple light. By creating a lamp that can only be used once, the user must consider when light is needed the most, forcing them to rethink how wasteful they are with energy, and how precious it is.
Cape Farewell has brought together leading artists, writers, scientists, educators and media for a series of expeditions into the wild and challenging High Arctic. Together they have mapped, measured and been inspired by this awesome environment and have endeavoured to bring home stories and artworks that tell how a warming planet is impacting on this wilderness.
There are a lot of climate change awareness art pieces out there. I have been collecting a few links, of which I think I like this the most. I may add the others later.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/climate-change-the-ice-bear-cometh-1832170.html
Oh, and the Independent (UK) just commented on a major exhibition.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-at-last-our-artists-are-confronting-the-reality-of-climate-change-1836601.html
Apart from the melted bear http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/melting-polar-bear-sends-grim-message.html there are these protesters
http://s65605.gridserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/snowman-global-warming-protest1.jpg
Oxford had something similar, two years ago.
“Recognizing the importance of creative expression in our movement, It’s Getting Hot In Here is hosting a month-long series called “Create Our Climate,” which will feature video, poetry, prose, visual art and music from this community. If you have already created such a piece and want to share it, sign up! If you want to specifically create a piece for this series, sign up!”
{ 1 trackback }