Pollution Pods at COP25, Madrid 2-13 December, 2019
Visitors to be immersed in choking smog as part of a drive to urge world leaders to take action on air pollution
One or two minutes inside artist Michael Pinsky’s Pollution Pods and visitors might begin experiencing shortness of breath, but there’s nothing dangerous in the air in the pods. Safe perfume blends and fog machines imitate the air quality of some of the world’s most polluted cities – London, Beijing, São Paulo, New Delhi – as well as one of the most pristine environments on earth, Tautra in Norway.
As part of World Health Organisation’s BreatheLife Campaign, which mobilizes governments and communities to reduce the impact of air pollution on our health and climate, this viscerally powerful art installation will be installed at the COP25 climate summit. Negotiators, observers and world leaders attending the summit will be encouraged to walk through the pods, which are being brought to Madrid by Cape Farewell, WHO, Clean Air Fund and Ministry of Ecological Transition, Spain.
“The true cost of climate change is felt in our hospitals and in our lungs. The health burden of polluting energy sources is now so high, that moving to cleaner and more sustainable choices for energy supply, transport and food systems effectively pays for itself,†said Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. “When health is taken into account, climate change mitigation is an opportunity, not a costâ€.
An Arts/Science Expedition in the Marshall Islands August 2020
In February we will announce full details of this latest Cape Farewell expedition.Â
Books: the Ideal Solstice present
Burning Ice – recently re-printed, Cape Farewell’s defining publication on ‘Climate is Culture’. Buy here >
Exchange – Kay Syrad and Chris Drury were commissioned by Cape Farewell to work with organic farmers in Dorset. A two year FarmArt engagement produced this magical book. Buy here >
Application Deadline: December 10, 2019 (11:59PM) Residency Dates: January 1 – June 30, 2020 All artists will be notified by email within 2 weeks post the application deadline.
The Visiting Artist Residency (VAR) at Trestle Gallery allows artists to explore and deepen their practice while sharing their artistic experience and creative process with the public and the Trestle Art Space community. Our mission is to cultivate a supportive and diverse arts community and we seek artists with an interest in education and activism as part of their practice.
Twice a year, two artists are offered a private studio membership in exchange for enriching Trestle’s public and studio programming. This residency is ideal for established artists with a serious practice and dedication to community engagement. The residency includes 24/7 access to our facilities, participation in Gowanus Open Studios & South Brooklyn Open Studios, and representation on our member registry. The 6-month residency culminates in a group exhibition at Trestle Gallery in December 2020 showcasing all four 2020 VARs.
Responsibilities of Visiting Artist Residents at Trestle:
– Leading Monthly Critiques – These two hour meetings are free and open to the public. They encourage a dialogue between artists of different media to share and talk about their work, all the while expanding their practice. We seek to provide members of the local community with support and professional development that they might not otherwise have access to.
– Holding Scheduled Studio Hours – Trestle’s VAR will designate one 3 hour block of time each month to meet with members of Trestle Art Space. These meetings offer support to artists by allowing them to show their work, review artist statements, and seek professional advice. Providing letters of reference/recommendation is not expected.
– Engaging with the Trestle and South Brooklyn Community – More generally, VARs will facilitate and promote the sharing of ideas and enhance our dynamic culture. We encourage VAR artists to get involved with the community at Trestle and the local South Brooklyn community by inviting guest speakers, attending Trestle Gallery exhibition opening/closing receptions and participating in open studio events.
Over the five years that I’ve blogged for Artists and Climate Change, I have never pitched a product. Until today. It feels a bit sacrilegious to do so, especially in the context of next week’s ritualized over-consumption frenzy, but hear me out. This is important.
With this post, I’m temporarily stepping outside my comfort zone – where I shine a light on global artists, designers, and architects experimenting with renewable energy as an emerging art form – to boldly suggest that our readers consider purchasing (several copies of) the Infographic Energy Transition Coloring Book as #climate-themed holiday gifts this year.
This award-winning coloring book (an updated version is currently being printed in Germany and will be ready for distribution in early December) is a visually stunning communication tool that I believe can help shift the needle on our mostly dystopic climate narrative. It is designed to engage all generations: young, old, and anyone in-between.
What I like most about this coloring book is its appeal to broad sections of the population, including those not yet convinced of the need to shift to sustainable energy sources, those for whom the jargon-heavy scientific climate reports are difficult to decipher, and even those already working on climate change and the energy transition.
Created by two Berlin-based organizations – Ellery Studio in collaboration with the Institute for Climate Protection, Energy and Mobility (IKEM) – the Infographic Energy Transition Coloring Book hits the sweet spot for me on so many levels.
First, not only is it scientifically accurate and visually stunning, this book manages like no other to take a complex, geeky subject like the energy transition (which I have tried to write about here, here, and here from an artistic perspective) and makes it highly accessible to the general public.
As Bernd Riedel, head of Ellery Studio’s visual strategy lab explained to FastCompany, “The energy transition will only succeed if people are aware of and enthusiastic about the possibilities of a decentralized, renewable energy supply.â€
Secondly, this coloring book draws you in, no matter your point-of-view on the climate crisis. Once you pick up a pencil or crayon to start coloring, it is impossible not to feel engaged, to feel empowered, to feel part of a larger whole. That alone is reason enough to purchase this book.
As Anika Nicolaas Ponder, Head of Sustainability & Innovation at IKEM, wrote on Medium:
Fostering public engagement in climate change activism will require a new approach to communication. Reporting shouldn’t just highlight the risks and challenges involved as global temperatures rise, but also the opportunities that can emerge from smart responses to climate change. This means that we need to communicate our message in a new format – and with a new narrative.
Thirdly, this coloring book focuses on the positive, on solutions, on the way forward. All music to my ears. According to Ms Ponder:
These are the tales that need telling, and these are the narratives we need to hear. We will be more effective messengers if we reframe the way we talk about climate change and the energy transition. We can do this by focusing on opportunity and empowerment and drawing more people into the conversation through accessible communication formats.
I can’t think of a better playful gift with the potential to open the conversation between friends and family who may not always have seen eye-to-eye on the climate or the energy transition. For more information about the Infographic Energy Transition Coloring Book, follow “My Energy Transition†on Instagram.
I’ll end here with my favorite illustration in the book. It would have to be the clever “Meet The Renewables†(which somehow reminds me of The Incredibles). This “family portrait†includes five of the most popular members of the renewable energy family: onshore and offshore wind, hydropower, biomass and solar. They are displayed on a modern electronic tablet which contrasts starkly with four cracked and cob-webbed frames in the background of the fossil fuel family (which reminds me of the original Addams Family!) Kudos to all who worked on this brilliant project!
(All images copyright and courtesy of Ellery Study, Berlin.)
Joan Sullivan is a Canadian renewable energy photographer. Since 2009, Joan has found her artistic voice on the construction sites of utility-scale wind and solar projects. Her goal is to keep our eyes on the prize – a 100% clean energy economy in our lifetimes. Joan is currently working on a documentary film and book project about Canada’s energy transition. Her renewable energy photographs have been exhibited in group and solo shows in Canada, the UK and Italy. You can find Joan on Twitter, Visura andEllo.
———-
Artists and Climate Change is a blog that tracks artistic responses from all disciplines to the problem of climate change. It is both a study about what is being done, and a resource for anyone interested in the subject. Art has the power to reframe the conversation about our environmental crisis so it is inclusive, constructive, and conducive to action. Art can, and should, shape our values and behavior so we are better equipped to face the formidable challenge in front of us.
Aquarium of the Pacific Presents “Ocean Resiliency”
See Eubank’s paintings of all 5 oceans, attend two talks, and help the oceans, at the prestigious Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA. Join us for the opening of “Ocean Resiliency: The Art and Expeditions of Danielle Eubank” on November 5 with an oral presentation at the Aquarium.
“Oil on Water: Painting on Linen, Danielle Eubank” opens today at The University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine. It features 4 of Eubank’s largest and most noteworthy paintings to date. Gifts of Art is one of the “most comprehensive arts in medicine programs nationwide….The arts have the power to nurture and engage… to assist and enhance the healing process, reduce stress, support human dignity and renew the spirit.”
Slate Contemporary Hosts First Antarctica Paintings
Join Danielle at Slate Contemporary Gallery in Oakland on October 4th for the opening of “State of Change” with the incomparable Audra Weaser and David Ruth. This show features the premiere of Eubank’s first big oil paintings of Antarctica.
“One Artist, Five Oceans”, a massive exhibition featuring paintings of all 5 oceans, is the first time Eubank’s paintings will be exhibited at a Long Beach gallery. It will encompass the exhibition, a Call to Action to support our oceans, and other events. More details to come.
Here are the best articles from this year from The Guardian and KCLU, NPR for the California Coast. Also, Danielle Eubank will be included in KPCC’s Unheard LA, a “curated lineup of real people sharing true stories of life here in Southern California” In October or November. Please email Danielle Eubank if you want to hear the date and time.
Exhibitions Details
“Oil on Water: Painting on Linen, Danielle Eubank” University of Michigan Gifts of Art Gallery – University Hospital Main Lobby, Floor 1 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 September 16 – December 6, 2019 Open daily from 8am – 8pm An informal artist’s talk, date TBD
“State of Change” Slate Contemporary Gallery 473 25th Street, Oakland CA 94612 510.652.4085 October 3 – November 30, 2019 Opening Reception + Artists’ Talk: Friday October 4th 6:30pm
“One Artist Five Oceans: Danielle Eubank” C Gallery Fine Art 441 E Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802 November 1 – December 15, 2019 Opening Reception date TBD
“Ocean Resiliency: The Art and Expeditions of Danielle Eubank” Aquarium of the Pacific 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802 November 5, 2019 – January 5, 2020 Opening Artist Talk, “One Artist Five Oceans” Tuesday, November 5th 7:00-8:30pm. Get tickets. “Ocean Resiliency: Call to Action” November 12, 2019. Tickets available soon.
Three things we can do to help the oceans right now
I will install rain barrels around my house. They help capture water for my garden, putting less stress on municipal systems and replenishing underground aquifers. Source: worldwildlife.org
I will wash clothes in cold water. Approximately 90 percent of the total energy use and greenhouse gas emissions produced by a single load of laundry come from warming the water. Plus, studies have shown that washing in cold water is just as effective. Source: coldwatersaves.org
I will recycle and donate my used things to charity instead of throwing them away. The average American tosses 4.4 pounds of trash every single day. It may not seem all that astonishing on the surface, but with323.7 million people living in the United States, that is roughly 728,000 tons of daily garbage, enough to fill 63,000 garbage trucks. Source: saveonenergy.com
You can help raise awareness about our effect on the climate and oceans. Send these suggestions to your friends! If it gets ONE person to think about how they can help the environment in their everyday life, it will be worth it.
(Top image: Carthage VII, Oil on linen 10×30 inches, 2018)
