Art in climate change: exhibition calls for action!

Art in climate change: exhibition calls for action!

The current exhibition “Fixing Futures: Planetary Futures between Speculation and Control” in MGGU – Museum Giersch at the Goethe University opens an exciting dialogue about the role of art in the context of sustainability and social change. It runs until August 31, 2025 and aims to think about futures in new and critical ways. The focus is on art's ability to process complex issues of climate change and communicate in a creative way.

An extensive accompanying program, which takes place in July, offers a wide range of opportunities to deepen the topic. This includes guided tours, workshops, film evenings and exciting lectures. There will be a dialogue with Prof. Dr. on July 3rd at 6 p.m. Petra Döll, a hydrologist, which can be visited for 4 euros plus admission. The tour on July 17th at 4 p.m. on the topic “Experience sustainability in the museum” is also free. On July 20th there will be a public tour without registration, also for 4 euros plus admission.

Workshops and film series

The workshops in July offer different approaches to dealing with the themes of the exhibition. For example, on July 1st at 3 p.m. there will be the “Artemis” workshop for people with mild to moderate dementia, which is free of charge. On July 26th, the workshop “Every mountain has a story” will be offered for young people aged 14 and over for 25 euros including admission. In addition, the film series “fps – Futures per Second” will show outstanding works such as “Iracema, Uma Transa Amazonica” (1975), accompanied by a supporting film from 2022.

The lecture series “Shaping the Future” begins with a free lecture by Dr. by Felix Kämper on July 10th at 6 p.m. another opportunity to deal with ecological social criticism.

Art as a tool for raising climate awareness

The exhibition and its accompanying programs are part of a larger trend in which art plays a central role in raising awareness about climate change. Artists like Colin Lyons reflect on proposals for climate manipulation in their series of works “We will find salvation in strategic chemical spills”. Using cloud motifs from the 16th century, he works on topics such as geoengineering and does not integrate any approved experiments into his work. Materials such as petroleum, sulfuric acid and iron sulfate are used in innovative ways.

Visual art not only functions as an aesthetic medium but also conveys much-needed messages about the effects of climate change. Projects like Barbara Dombrowski's "Tropic Ice" and the short film "Flooded McDonalds" illustrate the urgency and emotional dimensions associated with the topic.

Collaboration between art and science is increasingly emphasized to effectively address the challenges of climate change. The influence of art extends far beyond aesthetic representations and has the potential to initiate social discourse. It can create an emotional connection to the topic of climate change and thus encourage people to actively participate.

For further information about the exhibition and the accompanying program, those interested can visit the museum's website or contact us directly Christine Karmann to record.