Climate Crisis: Art Action Conference
Bishopsgate Institute, London. 2nd March 2023
Words by YVAN CEO Sharon Gill
This was a very inspiring and eye opening event.
The morning session seemed aimed at galleries and museums with a focus on loan agreements, exhibition installation, conservation, but still interesting. The Waste Age exhibition by the Science Museum required new ways of building and displaying works that were less wasteful itself, and to report on the carbon footprint including the use of emails.
The ambition to be carbon net zero and how this only stabilises and does not begin remedial action was a little startling to acknowledge.
The current feeling of obligation to ‘offset’ and how this is not the best use or investment of finance and capacity was also new. It is better to find more impactful ways to contribute, or more importantly - reduce consumption. To invest in systemic change and create a Strategic Climate Fund.- help to defend indigenous communities against deforestation for example.
Regenerative and distributive system
You do not have to work on both sides of the equation- you can reduce emissions or grow absorption. The global north have to do more than 50% reduction of emissions.
The challenges facing museums and aging buildings was discussed and the steady investment in environmentally friendly climate control systems and other infrastructure investment as required is the best way forward.
There was a lot of recognition from within and without the sector about the importance of art and culture to raise awareness of the issue, to tell the story of the crisis, to be inclusive in that messaging and to help mobilise action.
Question is not - what do we need to do BUT how much can we possibly do?
Donella Meadows - environmental scientist- got to have enough- when can we say- it’s enough and it's plenty? Reflections on a system that relies on growth is flawed. We are in a relay race, of passing the baton through the generations to make it right. Kate Raworth summarised Donut Economics- a fascinating approach with organisation toolkits to explore.
The Director of the Tate wanted to find a new economic model that moved away from the needs of wealthy stakeholders generating a morsel of resource for inclusive and community focused work.
The Gallery Climate Coalition are creating a De-carbonisation Plan for the Non profit Art Sector.