Art is not always solely for art’s sake, and so it is with a new exhibition at Vienna’s Natural History Museum (NHM). The topic? Glaciers as climate change witnesses. The goal? To encourage visitors to engage with the concepts and modify their behaviour…
- Photos and other works of art document glacial melt and climate change
- Calculate your own carbon footprint, too
- Runs from Jun 5 – Sept 8, 2019
- See also:
Art, science & climate change
The German title of the exhibition is “Dahinschmelzen. Gletscher als Zeugen des Klimawandels”, which roughly translates as “Meltdown: Glaciers as Witnesses of Climate Change”.
(A glacier in New Zealand)
At the heart of the Meltdown exhibition is a visualisation of climate change through various works of art, all put together by the Project Pressure Foundation. The foundation’s premise is that art can drive long-term positive changes in human behaviour.
Project Pressure commissioned various artists and photographers to undertake expeditions and produce relevant photos and other works addressing the concept and reality of glaciers and how these behemoths of ice and stone mirror our changing climate.
The results are now on view for the first time at the Meltdown exhibition.
As such, the exhibition combines art, science, and different perspectives to create an imposing documentation of glacial melt and its implications for the human condition.
The impactful presentation raises awareness, but the Meltdown exhibition also encourages you to reflect on your own role in climate change and how you might help prevent the climate catastrophe.
Touchscreen tools, for example, let you calculate your carbon footprint and offer suggestions as to how you might reduce it.
Around 15 artists on several continents, including multiple award-winning photographers, contributed to Meltdown, which is curated by Lina Aastrup. After the Natural History Museum, the exhibition moves to London’s Horniman Museum and Gardens.
Dates, tickets & tips
Enjoy the Meltdown exhibition from Wednesday, June 5th to Sunday, September 8th, 2019. You don’t need a special ticket, just an ordinary entrance ticket for the museum or a suitable sightseeing pass).
Vienna increasingly features exhibitions combining art and environmental activism. See, for example, Overground Resistance at the MuseumsQuartier. Or any number of exhibitions at the Kunst Haus Wien.
How to get to the exhibition
The Natural History Museum is on the prime tourist walking route, so easy to find. For public transport tips, see the main museum article.
Address: Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna