Over the years, climate activists have relied on a number of strategies to raise awareness of and fight climate change. While some of these strategies are typical of other social movements and activism, such as general protests and rallies, other ways of raising awareness have been used. In recent years, art has served as a focal piece for a particular type of protests by climate activists from environmentalist groups like Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion.
Aside from the controversial practices that some activists have used to raise awareness, others have created art to help invoke a sense of urgency and understanding of the importance of protecting and taking care of the planet. A study in American Psychological Association Journal researched how spectators of climate-based art were affected. The study found that art that shows the beauty of nature and had the most impact on those who viewed the art and had the opportunity to encourage climate action, such as Tapas Das' painting Returning Life (depicted below).
Murals and street art have also become a prominent place where art can serve as a catalyst for raising climate awareness (see the mural to the right, designed by Carl Li and painted by Ciaran Globel and Conzo Throb).
Hey Katie! Wow, so much emotion and feelings stirred from your post, it is definitely a scary world we live in. I have seen countless videos of the Just Stop Oil protests, and their message is still not getting through. What a sad world we live in today. Great blog post with beautiful posts.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of emphasizing "there is no art on a dead planet" by labeling protective glass is compelling and thought-provoking. As demonstrated by the study you cited, it's amazing to observe how art may inspire feelings of urgency and motivate action.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the idea of art being used as a form of activism. It really highlights the perspective that the Earth and all of it's beauty is art itself. Turning trash into treasure, literally.
ReplyDeleteI have seen these protests around social media, you really informed me more about why they partake in these protests. The videos I have seen on social media made it seem like these protestors were defacing the art, when in reality they are proving the point that there is no art on a dead planet. Amazing post!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely appreciate this post. Vandalism as a form of protest has always intrigued me and made me think, particularly art vandalism. On one hand, it's a good way to near-instantly generate attention for your chosen message when it otherwise wouldn't get much coverage, or other forms of protest are no longer effective. On the other hand, it doesn't always feel like an effective form of protest, sometimes instead demonizing climate activists. I love the quote of "There is no art on a dead planet" and I empathize with its message. But I can't help but feel like there's other, more effective ways to demonstrate in support of climate action.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great concept that I love exploring too. I feel like there is so much to talk about here so more details and examples would have really made this post pop. As the planet deteriorates due to our own action, it becomes almost dystopian to enjoy days perusing art or enjoying high end intellectual activities. The current condition we face gives us limited time, and that can cause a lot of anxiety. Defacing art as a form of art and expression can certainly wake up a few climate deniers who might never have critically thought about the issues we face.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the general public believes that these activists are just terrible people who want to deface well known pieces of art. The way you explained it is perfect. They are trying to get their point across because 9 times out of 10 the public does not listen to subtle acts of protest. What more can be done before people open their eyes.
ReplyDeleteJust like art, this is a very thought-provoking blog. I wonder how the artist feels about their work being destroyed or if that is part of the exhibition. This type of protest gets a lot more people talking about an issue and the best part is that nobody is physically hurt during the process.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad these protestors weren't actually defacing all of these art pieces, but it's making them heard. Basically them saying "we could do it if we wanted to, but you guys aren't listening to us". Very strong. Im glad this is brining people into this climate fight.
ReplyDeleteThis was such an interesting investigation into awareness tactics. I remember seeing the Just Stop Oil campaigns in the news but I never really got to hear the whole story. I also had no clue that art could actually affect people's perception of climate change.
ReplyDeleteWow! "There is no art on a dead planet" is so jarring but it without a doubt the truth. I think that so far "defacing" art is a very effective way of garnering publicity to activism efforts. However these bolder efforts are also very easy to misinterpret to those outside of conservation circles especially within media that aims to undermine conservation goals. I am curious who exactly the audience is for these types of messages because it seems those who are intuitive enough to understand the deeper purpose behind these displays are rarely also ignorant to the climate crisis.
ReplyDeleteI feel the symbolism behind the art for the planet could be a meaningful one. Defacing art could be seen as defacing the planet by our careless environmental actions. "There is no art of a dead planet" is scary to hear because it is becoming a reality, beauty will be taken away as the environment continues to suffer from climate implications.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic from the perspective of raising urgency of climate change impacts. I have seen the opposing perspective on social media of people bashing artists for defacing these artifacts, when in fact that is not the case. I appreciate your addition to this discussion and believe art forms drawing at the climate crisis should be more widely known and interpreted for their intended purposes.
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ReplyDeleteThis a great way to bring up the conversion of our impact on the world's environment. I seen this done with sea creatures being made out of plastic to help raise awareness for our impact on the planet. Art is a great way to have people talk more about climate change.
It's good how much attention their getting for doing this stuff. The most important part of making a statement is being heard.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a sad truth. I love how people are using a different means to find a way for activism. The painting of the deer is so heartbreaking to me. It sucks that the world really does not understand the horrid things we are doing to it.
ReplyDeleteArt is such a useful medium when it comes to activism, and has been used throughout many movements throughout history. It was interesting to consider the different ways art is used as a means of activism in relation to climate change
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog to really highlight how art can spark climate action. Art gets people thinking and feeling about the planet. I've noticed how these type of activists can be bashed or hated on from social media. However, maybe activism like this is the only way to spark people to change.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great idea to bring awareness to global warming through art. I especially liked the picture at the end, which shows, instead of a deer in the woods, a deer on a pile of trash, showing where we are heading.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, Katie! I just learned that since 2022, climate activists have been using art as a form of protest, like marking the protective glass on paintings with things like soup or paint to send the message 'no art on a dead planet.' It's such a creative yet controversial approach. I’m curious, do you think this strategy is more effective at raising public awareness compared to traditional protests? Thanks for sharing this
ReplyDeleteClimate activists have increasingly turned to art, both as a medium of protest and a tool for inspiring climate action, using controversial tactics like marking museum glass to draw attention to the crisis. While these actions spark debate, research suggests that art showcasing the beauty of nature can have a profound emotional impact, motivating viewers to take action. Whether through disruption or inspiration, art continues to play a powerful role in the fight for environmental awareness and change.
ReplyDeleteThe quote, "There is no art on a dead planet" gave me chills. This post was extremely moving, and I feel that it is essential to pull from the pathos side of persuasion to inform more people about the devastating changes taking place in our atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. I never thought that a protest of some kind would happen in a museum. I didn't consider artists being in the top 5 of those who should be talked to about climate change, but I can see where they would be able to get their point across in a peaceful and respectful manner. I think that this is a great idea, and I think that it should be more popular. I've never seen anything like it, but I stay away from social media and news so hopefully it's out there and spreading.
ReplyDeleteLike so many of the others commenting on your blog I found the focus on art very interesting! I bet there is a lot more art protest you could write about - and it would be interesting to find art-infused actions we could take. Art was a big part of the XR (Extinction Rebellion) actions I attended.
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