When reading about eco-conscious art, several phrases come up time and again. There are works that draw attention to “human- ity’s fraught relationship with nature”, or “the impact of people on the environment.” But, after years of endless news reports, climate conferences and the ever-ticking doomsday clock, it can feel as if we are already aware of the issues this kind of work is trying to raise. We’ve heard it all before, and the climate fatigue is real. It can seem like we’re powerless and going nowhere fast.
There’s an elephant in the room: how far does art really go towards making a difference? Are these pieces sparking change. Should they be expected to? It’s tricky to quantify, but the small amount of research that exists suggests that the answer is yes. In 2023, the journal Communications Earth & Environment published a study concluding that artistic representations of data can help bridge the US political divide over climate change, eliciting stronger positive emotions than data graphs. It was truly a heartening finding.
Human / Nature, therefore, has the potential to influence its attendees in a big way. The show is about how we experience the natural world, showing harmony and recovery as well as our tendency towards destruction. Amongst the 14 featured artists is David Uzochukwu. Heartstrings shows a figure immersed in green leaves. The image visualises helplessness, but also shared love and connection with the Earth. Djeneba Aduayom, Helene Schmitz, Ori Gersht, Yan Wang Preston are amongst the artists featured.
Fotografiska New York, Human/Nature: Encountering Ourselves in the Natural World | Until 25 May
Words: Eleanor Sutherland
Image Credits:
- © David Uzochukwu, Heartstrings, (2018).
- © David Ụzọchukwu, Happy.
