Sustainability Center

Artists as Change Agents

"Envisioning Change" believe it can. With Autodesk as the Title Sponsor, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Natural World Museum are presenting the work of more than 40 artists as part of World Environment Day 2007. Their goal is to increase awareness of the effects of climate change on the world’s coldest regions and to inspire changes in behavior that can slow it down.

Opening in the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway, on June 5, the exhibit supports the World Environment Day theme of "Melting Ice—Hot Topic?" and the beginning of the International Polar Year 2007–2008. The show looks at climate change from a worldwide perspective, chronicling the effect of global warming on the ecosystems and communities of the polar regions, the Andes, and the Himalayas. The beautiful, thought-provoking, and sometimes shocking images engage viewers on an emotional level that can’t be achieved through words alone.

Inspiring Action

The pieces are meant to inspire visitors to take action in their daily lives and seek solutions to the climate crisis. They represent a variety of media, from photographs, paintings, and sculpture to multimedia and conceptual installations. Some are stark, others lush. A few are overtly political and others more subtly so. The common thread? Each artist is trying to change forever the way visitors think about global warming—and their own behavior—after leaving the building.

The change envisioned by the exhibit has other dimensions as well. It starts with the profound alterations in habitat and natural systems caused by a warming world, which are occurring faster in the polar regions than elsewhere. (Temperatures are increasing in the Arctic at twice the rate of the rest of the world, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.) The exhibit’s title also refers to the change in mindset and habits required if all nations and their leaders are to prevent further damage to the earth’s fragile ecosystems.

More than 1.2 million visitors are expected to view the traveling exhibition. The show will be on display through August 20 in Oslo, then move to Brussels. The exhibition will be shown at the BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts from September 15 through December 15. The tour will conclude in North America, with a stop in Chicago in the spring of 2008.

Promoting Environmental Stewardship with Art

"Envisioning Change" is the second installment of the Art for the Environment Initiative, started on World Environment Day 2006 in Nairobi. It uses the universal language of art to promote environmental stewardship. UNEP and the Natural World Museum will select one work in each of the five categories (photography, painting, and so forth) to receive a Green Leaf Award. The award recognizes artists whose works are exceptional in demonstrating the exhibition topic and communicating the importance of conservation.

UNEP is the arm of the United Nations devoted to the environment—it advocates, educates, facilitates, and catalyzes nations and individuals to use natural resources wisely for the good of future generations. Every year on June 5, UNEP sponsors a series of events in a different world capital to stimulate global interest and action on critical environmental and political challenges. Norway is the host country for World Environment Day 2007, with events taking place in the southern capital of Oslo and the northern capital, Tromsø, the “Gateway to the Arctic.”

The Natural World Museum is a global, mobile cultural institution that uses art to catalyze and unite people in thought and action. Its Planet Art youth outreach program connects children worldwide with art supplies, encouragement, and each other to heighten their awareness of the world they inhabit and the need to preserve it. In all its work, “we’re trying to cause a change in attitude and action that will result in positive change for the environment,” says Mia Hanek, co-founder and executive director of the Natural World Museum.

Partnering with Others, Changing the World

Autodesk partners with the public sector, industry leaders, educators, and environmentally-focused organizations to increase awareness among the global community about the benefits of sustainable design. “We are honored to support the Natural World Museum and UNEP through this important international exhibition,” says Carl Bass, Autodesk president and CEO. “Together we will advance the dialog on smart growth in a sustainable world.”

So let’s go back to the original question: can art change the world? Maybe so, or maybe the artists and their audience are the agents of change. As noted anthropologist and author Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”