UCSC Artist micha cárdenas Highlights Climate Crisis in Toronto Exhibition

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micha cárdenas, a UC Santa Cruz professor and multimedia artist, has created “Probability Engine: Atlantic Overturning,” an exhibition aimed at raising awareness about climate tipping points. The exhibition, part of Nuit Blanche in Toronto, showcases various interactive sculptures that depict the imminent risks of climate change. cárdenas emphasizes the role of art as a transformative medium to provoke thought and inspire action towards climate justice and societal change.

In late 2022, prominent climate scientist Tim Lenton, director of the Global Systems Institute, delivered a sobering report discussing critical climate tipping points, including the imminent collapse of ice sheets and alterations to North Atlantic ocean currents. In response to this alarming prognosis, micha cárdenas, an Associate Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, expressed her distress, stating, “I just wanted to shout it from the rooftops. We are not just going to have warmer weather. We’re right on the edge of catastrophe. If we get to 1.5 degrees Celsius (of global warming), we could trigger multiple tipping points.” As of November 2023, the Earth’s temperature was already 1.44 degrees higher than the global mean, underscoring the urgency of the situation, as highlighted in a September 2022 article published in Science, which detailed the repercussions of tipping points, including the potential dieback of the Amazon rainforest and the thawing of Boreal permafrost. In an effort to raise awareness regarding these pressing climate issues, micha cárdenas has unveiled her latest exhibition, “Probability Engine: Atlantic Overturning,” which debuted on October 5 during Toronto’s Nuit Blanche, an all-night celebration of contemporary art. This exhibition is poised to reach a broad audience, as previous events have attracted over 200,000 visitors annually. The exhibition is set to remain on display through October 13, as part of Nuit Blanche’s Extended Program, offering an immersive experience of climate collapse through interactive sculptures and virtual components. The exhibit features four dynamic sculptures that convey the gravity of the climate crisis. Curator Syrus Ware remarked that “Probability Engine” employs a blend of imagery, sound, poetry, and augmented reality to provide a tactile sense of climate justice and provoke thoughts about a more equitable future. Central to cárdenas’s exhibition is a 15-foot sculpture named “Atlantic Overturning,” illustrating the critical Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), whose deterioration could have severe ecological repercussions, a sentiment echoed by a recent CNN report suggesting that AMOC is on the brink of collapse due to human-induced climate shifts. To realize “Atlantic Overturning,” cárdenas collaborated with artists Marcelo Díaz Viana Neto and Star-Hagen Esquerra, incorporating three other impactful installations: “The Probability Engine,” through which viewers can visualize potential futures concerning climate change; “Permafrost,” which addresses the implications of thawing permafrost and methane release; and “The Last Piece of Antarctic Ice,” which examines rising sea levels. An augmented reality app further enhances visitor engagement, allowing exploration of virtual sculptures that represent future urban adaptations to climate change. micha cárdenas remains a staunch advocate for the transformative potential of art in driving real-world change. Notably, she has previously worked on projects like “Unstoppable,” which developed self-defense clothing for marginalized individuals, and contributed to the Transborder Immigrant Tool, focusing on lifesaving information for desert crossings. Now, through the “Probability Engine,” cárdenas continues her mission of provoking thought regarding the impending collapse of ocean currents and features poems within the accompanying app, urging readers to become “tipping points” for transformative action. “This could be an opportunity to change society,” cárdenas stated, emphasizing art’s capacity to contextualize scientific findings and forge broader connections about the climate crisis. Furthermore, cárdenas addresses the intersection of warfare and climate impact, asserting that conflicts exacerbate environmental degradation and disproportionately affect indigenous communities and people of color. Through her poignant poetry, cárdenas aims to personalize the narrative of climate change, fostering a collective consciousness around resistance and action needed to counter the looming crisis. “I think the power of art resides in reaching people on an emotional and affective level,” she concluded, advocating for a holistic understanding of loss, violence, and rebellion against systems perpetuating climatic disasters.

The urgency of climate change has become increasingly apparent, with scientists warning of potentially irreversible damage to global systems. Reports such as Tim Lenton’s recent assessment highlight critical tipping points that, once crossed, could result in cascading environmental impacts, underscoring the need for immediate action to avert disaster. micha cárdenas utilizes her art to communicate the nuances of climate justice, engaging viewers emotionally and intellectually to inspire change.

In summary, micha cárdenas’s exhibition “Probability Engine: Atlantic Overturning” serves as a crucial platform for addressing the imminent threats posed by climate change. Through her artistic expressions, cárdenas not only raises awareness of critical issues like ocean current collapse and its broader consequences but also invites a dialogue on collective action and resilience. Furthermore, her belief in art as a catalyst for social change emphasizes the importance of emotional engagement in addressing such pressing global challenges.

Original Source: news.ucsc.edu

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