cliamtechange

Extreme weather: the new normal

/ Leave a Comment

Why people don’t care about climate change

It seems extreme weather bothers people to the degree of the intensity of heat, cold perceived, or devastation suffered. Other than news titles, these dramatic events cause conversations and complaints. However, it stops there.

But now that information is everywhere, why do people not educate themselves? Why is there indifference and no action?

Extreme weather in Europe

A massive storm and hail have devastated Milano. Also, in the Mediterranean, flames are devouring everything. That happens in Sicily, Greece, Croatia, Turkey and Gran Canaria. From droughts to wildfires, these days, Europe is burning. The climate emergency is tangible. And we know what has caused climate change which drives extreme weather because scientists said it clearly decades ago. They said we had to change the way humans impacted the planet. But we kept on abusing nature in the name of money.

Furthermore, instead of listening to those who tried to open our eyes, instead of changing our lifestyle to avoid extinction, we changed the marketing! So now, every product or service is green. Brilliant! But guess what? The world is in flames.

Misleading messages on climate change

Recently, the Italian Prime Minister spoke at the Vox rally in Valencia. She said we need to “stop ultra-ecological fanaticism.” Also: “ecological sustainability must go hand in hand with economic sustainability.”
In other words, according to the Italian government, we need to stop those who take a step to protect nature but do not say a word about oil companies.

These messages on how to handle climate change are disturbing. Besides, this viewpoint goes hand in hand with the fake slogans of green capitalism and sustainability, which are expressions of greenwashing.

Please, stop it all! Stop talking! No more words on sustainability because they are unnerving.
We are fed up with hearing governments and brands talking about growth. We cannot stand hearing about sustainable fashion, organic food, sustainable tourism or net zero! There is no such thing as sustainable growth.

Climate change worsens, but we keep doing what we have done so far! More flights, more cars, more travel, more consumption. Like someone driving a car about to hit a wall but does not care!

Now more than ever, information is available to everyone.
Indeed, there is enough information about climate change to educate ourselves and hold ourselves accountable. Yet most people prefer to credit those who deny it. Either there is a lack of understanding, or we are kidding ourselves.

But one thing is clear: extreme weather is the new normal. And we cannot afford this inconsiderate behaviour anymore.

Siamo Foresta

/ Leave a Comment

Contemporary Art to save the nature


Yesterday we attended the opening of the “Siamo Foresta” exhibition at Triennale Milano in collaboration with Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporaine. We are forest – is the language of contemporary art focused on nature and aiming to save it from human impact.

Beyond anthropocentrism

“Siamo Foresta (we are forest) draws its inspiration from an aesthetic and political vision of the forest as an egalitarian multiverse of living peoples, human and non-human, and as such offers an allegory of a possible world beyond our anthropocentrism. The exhibition stages an unprecedented dialogue between thinkers and defenders of the forest; between indigenous artists – from New Mexico to the Paraguayan Chaco passing through the Amazon – and non-indigenous artists (Brazil, China, Colombia, France).” – source

Siamo Foresta: artists involved

“Focusing on artists from Latin America, We Are Forest presents, amongst others, the works of Jaider Esbell (Macuxi, Brazil), Cleiber Bane (Huni Kuin, Brazil), Floriberta Femin, Angelica Klassen, Esteban Klassen, Marcos Ortiz (Chaco, Paraguay), Sheroanawe Hakiihiwë, Joseca Mokahesi, and Ehuana Yaira (Yanomami, Venezuela and Brazil), Johanna Calle (Colombia), Alex Cerveny, Bruno Novelli, Santidio Pereira, Solange Pessoa, Adriana Varejao, and Luiz Zerbini (Brazil).” – source

We recommend you visit the exhibition, it’s open until October 29!

Siamo foresta

As we entered the rooms, a quote caught our attention:

“The forest is alive. It can only die if the white people persist in destroying it: if they succeed, the rivers will disappear underground, the soil will crumble, the trees will shrivel up, and the stones will crack in the heat. The dried-up earth will become empty and silent.”

David Kopenawa, The Falling Sky 2010

Siamo Foresta: nature focused contemporary art

Captured by green in every shade and two corners of the forest installation with large lush plants we could walk through. And bright colours; but also some impressive black and white, all with potent imagery and a touching sense of light. Indeed we were amazed to discover the drawings some indigenous self-taught artists made just with a ballpoint pen.
A fun detail, a man saw Cri standing next to a painting in her anis slipdress by Marc Le Bihan and said: “Your colours perfectly match this painting. You should be in it! Let me take you a picture!”
Indeed, we all wore colours in line with the exhibition. Perhaps when we made our Spring-Summer 23, the forest mood inspired us!

In the end, another quote made us reflect:

“It began with separating man from nature and establishing him as a sovereign kingdom; it was thus believed to erase the most irrefutable character of him, namely that he is primarily a living being. And, remaining blind to this common property, the field has been given free rein to all abuses.”  

Claude Levi-Strauss – Structural Anthropology 2

This quote from Claude Levi-Strauss – Structural Anthropology 2 – is dated 1973. In 2023, fifty years later, there’s a summit on sustainability every day! Nothing has changed over time. In fact, now climate change is irreversible, but we are just talking.