How arts & culture work for our planet
Reduce your impact – eat responsibly! The WWF International recently published its annual Living Planet Report for 2020. It provides an overview of where we are at in the pursuit of preserving our natural world and the ecosystems on which we depend. All this talking about the planet’s ecosystem, biodiversity loss, extinction etc. How does it translate to your everyday life? What does...
Individual = Collective When it comes to consumption, we believe me make rational choices. Buying bio food without palm oils and not falling into the trap of ‘buy 2 get 1 for free’ offers. We fail to understand that, here too, individuality is a total illusion: the individual won’t make it far, neither in career related matters nor in consumption...
Sustainability in Art: a mere Subject? The fact that artists have made sustainability a subject of their work has become rather common. Numerous not only talk about it but criticise wasteful behaviour or offer alternatives. They put the topic at the heart of their creation. They raise awareness of the urgency of this matter. But are they also sustainable...
Our society, our Culture Arts institutions in Dresden, Germany have implemented an ecological strategy that includes the sustainability of their social and economic structures and processes. During the last week of May 2020, the department of culture and preservation order of Dresden ran a digital symposium as a kick-off event for the development of a joint strategy for the...
Art triggers emotions Art gives a human voice to societal or environmental ‘complications’ (yes, avoiding the ‘p’ word here on purpose). Art can bring attention to certain aspects of specific magnitude like injustice, exploitation… or wonder. Art triggers an emotional response. We all know that the response differs significantly and is unpredictable. Art can bring forth cognitive activation, too. You linger on the...
Culture’s transformative power Have you ever wondered what role culture plays in the ecological sustainability debate? In it, culture – in a broader sense as in a way of life – has come a long way. Finally, in 2019 the United Nations (UN) report highlighted it to be a fundamental component for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The...
