A common misconception is that art and science sit at the opposite ends of how we experience, interpret and understand the world. However, bringing these two “cultures” together can provide vital tools not only for communicating complex and important topics but also bring newfound inspiration to artistic endeavors themselves.
It is no coincidence that the rise in ecological awareness of environmental issues that took hold in the 1960s and 1970s went hand in hand with a cultural revolution that had art as one of its core iterations. Art turned out to be crucial in the development of public discourse concerning environmental issues, which in turn stimulated scientific inquest and discovery in this field.
Today an ever-increasing number of climate communicators recognise this duality and are therefore turning to art as a way of bringing added awareness to the defining issue of our time: climate change. The CMCC embraces this approach with the CMCC Climate Change Communication Award that brings together a network of over 300 innovative projects and initiatives that deliver engaging messages and communicate climate change in education, advocacy, media production and social engagement activities.
Born out of a desire to engage the public and help build awareness, this is also an answer to the perceived failure of “facts” to sway the general public into demanding and enacting the change we need. In a world of ever-growing data and information availability it is clear that facts alone are not enough, its also about how you communicate them. Art can help convey the realities of climate change in a way that is more accessible and compelling to all.
We have put together a collection of some of the most interesting exhibitions around the world. Although you may not be able to visit them in person, we hope that they can provide food for thought, push the reader to learn more about the initiatives and artists, and in the process gain inspiration.
The Cooling Solution; The Italian Cultural Institute in London, London, UK (02/09/2024 to 02/10/2024); and Trani, Italy (04/10/2024 to 30/11/2024)
Previously hosted at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice from May to July 2023, and then in New York City at the Photoville Festival, from June 1st to the 16th 2024, The Cooling Solution continues its tour in London, UK, where it will be on display for most of October only to then move onto the Radar Festival of Photography in Trani.
A scientific project coordinated by CMCC that uses photography to show how people from around the world are adapting to the rising temperatures brought about by climate change. The Cooling Solution uses a combination of scientific research conducted under the Energya project and personal stories in a unique photographic journey that provides a window onto ineffective and inefficient cooling, hypercooling, heat dumping, vernacular architecture, and cutting -edge cooling technologies in Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Italy.
For more information on The Cooling Solution watch the CMCC webinar where the creators share their experiences in designing a visual arts project that combines scientific findings with personal stories in an effort to highlight the pitfalls of accepting air conditioning as the only effective heat reduction strategy.
Edward Burtynsky, Extraction/Abstraction; M9 – Museum of the 20th Century, Mestre, Italy (21/06/2024 to 12/01/2025)
After the worldwide success of the exhibition Anthropocene, a multimedia exploration of man’s indelible footprint on planet earth, the photographer Edward Burtynsky returns with a new exhibition which is being held at M9 – Museum of the 20th Century, Mestre, after its successful debut at the Saatchi Gallery in London, UK, in partnership with CMCC.
The exhibition is a retrospective on Burtynksy’s forty-year career as an artist who has dedicated his life to revealing the environmental impact of the industrial system on our planet. Burtynsky’s work focuses on what the artist describes as “large-scale industrial incursions across the planet” and the exhibition in Mestre over 80 large format photographs, 10 high definition murals, one experience of Augmented Reality and a new section, called Process Archive, which shows the instruments and cameras used over the years by Burtynsky during his tireless navigation around the world.
Serra Madre; Bologna, Italy (opening 12/09/2024)
Born from art incubator collective Kilowatt‘s desire to create a space that fosters and nurtures ecological imagination through the dialogue between art and science, with the goal of building alternative presents and desirable, accessible futures, Serra Madre was created as an open and porous space with a constant focus on generating positive impact through residencies, public programs, educational workshops, training, workshops, and exhibitions.
Serra Madre opens its doors on September 12th with an inaugural speech by Tim Ingold, Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Aberdeen, who has revolutionized the role of the anthropologist by emphasizing the power of imagination. This will be followed by a month of events, artistic installations, workshops, performances, and presentations aimed at collectively tracing new trajectories on environmental and cultural issues.
The Artic Life while the ice is melting; Nordiska Museet, Sweden (until 04/10/2024)
Nordiska museet is Sweden’s largest museum of cultural history where you can learn about the life and people of the Nordic region, where glaciers and sea ice are melting faster than previously expected. “The Artic Life while the ice is melting” is an exhibition that has been running since 2019 and will end on the 4th of October. The Nordiska museet’s Great Hall is filled with representations of the history and the future of the ice and people that belong to the Arctic region, including a collection of objects, photos, artwork, films and projections designed by Award-winning design duo Sofia Hedman and Serge Martynov of MUSEEA. The artists collaborated with experts from Stockholm University and numerous researchers stationed in the Arctic which means that the exhibits, ceiling projections, interactive stations and documentary films are all informed by cutting edge research on Arctic Life.
Design Researchers in Residence: Solar Display, Design Museum London, 21/07/2024 to 22/09/2024
A free display of new design research responding to the climate crisis which is part of the museum’s annual design researcher’s residence program. Solar brings together the work of four 2023/24 Design Researchers in Residence artists in an exploration of how climate change alters our surroundings, homes and ways of communicating.
The projects featured in the display explore our changing relationships with the heat and light of the sun through multidisciplinary and collaborative work. Touching on a variety of topics spanning from the heat of the internet, the changing scents of plants, the architecture of the conservatory and the contested restoration of Scotland’s peatland bogs the exhibition show cases innovative design research responding to the climate crisis.
Change! Ieri, oggi, domani. Il Po; Turin, Italy (27/06/2024 to 13/01/2025)
Italy’s most important river is 652 kilometers long, has 141 tributaries, directly impacts over 20 million people, influences 37% of Italy’s agricultural production and 55% of livestock production. 40% of the country’s GDP is produced in the vicinity of this river. Why? Because for centuries it has provided stability and reliable access to water.
This exhibition grapples with the reasons behind the radical change that the Po river has faced in recent years whilst also exploring potential avenues for adaptation including suggestions for changes in behavioral patterns. Held at the Museo Civico d’Arte Antica of Turin, the exhibition gives an in-depth view of how the climate crisis is changing both local and global realities that had remained stable and reliable for centuries.
Fire Season; University of Victoria, Canada (20/004/2024 to 07/09/2024)
In recent years the words wildfires and Canada have gone hand in hand. Canadian artist collective Fire Season presents an exhibition of works from their biennial publication, an edited journal of written and visual sense-making on the topic of wildfires. The exhibition is an attempt to put wildfire in focus as increasingly severe fire seasons inspire artists to explore ideas around climate change and the destructive forces of nature. The exhibition features poetry, visual art, photography, and video installation from contributors to the Fire Season book and archival wildfire materials from the BC Forest Discovery Centre to take a comprehensive and inclusive look at how wildfire continues to impact British Columbia in a kaleidoscope of cultural, political, industrial, and ecological ways at the Legacy Art Gallery in downtown Victoria.
Artists for Climate; Online
Started as an open call for digital illustrations, graphic design, lettering art and typography by TED Countdown, in collaboration with Fine Acts this initiative brings together beautiful artwork and designs that depict a hopeful future or have a clear message around the urgency surrounding climate change.
Now a collection of open-license art about climate change, the projects consist of hundreds of illustrations that are now published online under a Creative Commons license and are available to climate groups, campaigners, and educators to use and adapt non-commercially, in order to shape the climate conversation.
In addition, between 2021 and 2024, the Artists for Climate initiative held 22 creative bootcamps around the world, engaging over 160 artists to create for change.
