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The Work of Art in the Age of Planetary Destruction

Edited by Aarathi Prasad & David Osrin
This book is a collection of ideas from creators across the world about their role in imagining the global future. What do they do that politicians and climate scientists can’t or won’t do? There is only one true version of the book. All other versions — printed or online — are mechanical reproductions of it. The printed copies have been perforated so that their pages can be pulled apart, to remind us that the things we take can’t always be put back and the things we lose can’t always be recovered.

To start exploring the book, click on the image below.
The book arose out of the Complex Urban Systems for Sustainability and Health (CUSSH) research consortium. As researchers with an interest in the involvement of wider publics in the project, Aarathi Prasad and David Osrin facilitated collaborations with artists and activists. The response to the environmental crisis is not just a matter of generating, marshalling and communicating scientific evidence. It’s also a matter of capturing the imagination. The purpose of art is not to send messages: we do not create in order to make people do something. Aarathi and David decided to engage artists in the discussion by asking them why they do what they do. They contacted people across the world known for making art that engaged with the environmental crisis and asked them a series of questions. The response was unexpectedly enthusiastic and ended up as an anthology of 32 contributions.

Learning points

  • What do creatives do that politicians and climate scientists can’t or won’t do?
  • What is it about creative responses that is different?
  • Is it to do with engaging the senses or the imagination?
  • Do creatives raise questions about environmental justice?
  • What do you hope will happen when people engage with your work?

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