Lejla’s Artsor Image Group Site
When imagining the museum that I would want to present my work in, I have an abnormal looking building in mind. The uniqueness of the Guggenheim Museum intrigues me so I envision a museum that has that sort of different, circular structure in the heart of New York City. I chose for my exhibit to be focused on the issue of climate change. Climate change has become one of the scariest and most surreal issues of the twentieth century. Because of this, my exhibition should be on the first floor of the museum because climate change affects everyone and everyone should be drawn to enter it as soon as they step foot in the museum.The issue of climate change and the reasons that it has been happening has been a work in progress. Climate change has been affecting our Earth for hundreds of years. In order to show this timeline of impacts climate change has been having on our environment, I would have the exhibit on a circular display that you can stand in the middle of. The oldest works of art would be shown as soon as you walk into the exhibition circle to your right. As you follow the wall to your left, I want the works of art to become more recent until you reach the last work that is only a few years old. This way, you are fully immersed in the feeling that climate change has been evolving and will only continue to get worse and surround us unless we take action to stop it. You should feel almost suffocated by the exhibit in order to feel the pressure that needs to be expressed in order to create change in our environment.
Opening Text:
Climate change has been a prevalent issue in the world for many years already. Many scientists, politicians and celebrities have attempted to draw attention to the issue but nothing significant has truly come out of it in a way that shows there has been a positive impact on our environment. This stems from the belief of all people that, “The generation after me will fix it, its too late for me to do anything to help.” Everyone believes that it isn’t their problem to deal with and that someone else will start the change to help. This mentality needs to change immediately and people all around the world have to become more proactive in helping out Earth. This exhibit is intended to show you the gradual impact climate change has had on our environment. It is intended to show you that there is no more time to wait, action must be taken now in order to save out Earth. It is intended to put pressure on all of you to be proactive in making a change.
Additional Information:
Exhibit Piece #1: “Survivors of the Drought”: This is the first piece in the exhibit and was painted in 1936. The animals in this painting are dead and the land is deserted because of a drought. The negative change in climate began a long time ago, we however have paid little attention to it until now.
Exhibit Piece #4: “INDIA. Climate Group”: The change in climate not only affects the Earth but the people on it as well. The flooding that has been occurring in India is preventing children from receiving an education and even worse, is increasing their chances for drowning or malaria.
Exhibit Piece #9 “20 Feet Below”: President Mohammed Nasheed has made a much needed statement about the threat of global warming in this image. By holding a meeting under ground in such a dramatic way, he is drawing attention to the imminent problem of global warming. This is the only way people will begin to truly listen and take action to save our environment; by doing drastic and crazy things that will make people talk and bring attention to the issue of climate change.
Self Analysis:
The issue of climate change is a serious one but one that I feel does not receive as much attention as it should. In creating my exhibit, I wanted to shine a light on the issue of climate change and how pressing the matter of working to fight it is. I don’t believe that climate change is taken as seriously as it should. Many people feel that the generation after them will start the change and that it is “too late” for them to do any good. But, that whole thinking process has to be proven wrong. If everyone made a small change in their daily life, such as recycling or using reusable water bottles, a huge difference would be made. Now however, everyone is waiting for the person after them to make the change and in turn the state of our environment is only getting worse.
When I began to select pieces for my exhibit, I found so many difference works of art that could have been related to climate change. I chose these ten pieces however because I feel they represented the story that I wanted portrayed the best. These pieces give off a dreary and hopeless vibe. They are very depressing and show the devastating and life threatening affects that climate change has on our world. I want the audience to feel pressured and suffocated by the pieces in the exhibit in order to try and spark a need for change in them. I feel that these pieces will show that we can not wait any longer to fix what we have done to the environment it has to be changed now.
The exhibit is designed to be staged in a circular or cylindrical manner that you are meant to stand inside of. The exhibit should be dark and not very large, enhancing the dreary and threatening feeling that climate change should make people feel. The pieces are also going to be arranged in chronological order as they line the cylindrical exhibit. This is meant to show the audience how progressively worse the change in climate is affecting our environment and the future of our children. I also decided against including a performance or installation into my exhibit because I believe the feelings that I want to evoke from the audience would be enhanced by silence. I thought about including music into the exhibit but I felt as if it would take away from the dramatic effect I want to incorporate into my work. I want the audience to feel that sense of individuality and being alone among the silence. I have hope that if I can get that feeling across to my audience, I can get them to believe that every small thing that thy can do to help the environment can make a difference. Climate change is a serious issue that needs as much attention as possible. I hope that my exhibit will provide that sense of proactiveness that will truly help to create a change in peoples’ habits and in turn help to save our environment.
