What is the future of art? In the face of climate change, with the increased urgency to reduce wasteful and damaging consumption, how do artists respond?
The Future of Art Interview series seeks to explore how climate change affects artistic practice and the positions of artists in relation to this topic. Over the coming weeks a range of viewpoints will be published. You're invited to follow along and share your own opinions on this topic.
The series aims to explore a range of viewpoints. Interviewed are artists from a wide variety of backgrounds and nationalities, both emerging and established.
"As an artist and with my studio practice I have made significant changes to support the sustainable production of artworks and the methods for how things are done. For instance, my studio has a sensor for the lights so they turn off when there’s no activity. In my studio we have changed the ways for how framed artworks are packed and shipped. We no longer use paper, tape or bubble wrap, instead, we use fabrics and belt systems that are reusable. Elements like this help advance a sustainable framework and the studio functions."
"Amid a hailstorm of unbridled production, I'm embarrassed to add any new objects to this excess. Besides, imposing my autonomous creativity on the environment seems inequitable for me since I'm a part of the threatened environment. That's why with my work I usually explore existing entities. I'm eager to share authorship with the elements. "
"Embankment Refinery", 2015, digital artwork by Moe Murdock
"[...]growing up we were always taught the values of not wasting things (food, materials, time) because those things are precious. Those values have stayed with me as part of my adult life. Working as a digital artist came easier to me than traditional and the by-product of not wasting materials and working virtually is an added bonus."
"In recent years I read ever increasing reports by climate and conservation scientists, and it is fucking frightening. Terrified by what I was reading and frustrated by political inaction, I decided to become more involved in climate activism."
"Grazing", image by Katya Fialka
"Comrades (Coffee)", diverse materials on wood, 2017, Katharina Forster.
"There was also an article by Hanno Rauterberg which struck a cord when he stated that artists are polluting with all their unseen artworks.
Rauterberg likes to make bold statements and this one definitely stuck with me and influenced my art-making directly."
Interview with Katharina Forster
"By appropriating nature, I am promoting aesthetic and poetic expressions that boost a conscious relationship between humans and nature."
Experiments with Scobi by Adrienn Ujhazi.
Photograph by Jeremy Knowles.
"We are often unaware of the subtle ways in which modern cities are designed for commerce. Most of the things we encounter daily have been structured to encourage us to spend our money."