Art Climate Crisis Diary, March 2023.
The year begins with continuing warnings by scientists about the potential impacts of our current ‘business as usual’ course. The Guardian reported in late January on a new study by researchers at Stanford University and Colorado State University that 1.5C of warming over industrial levels will probably be crossed in the next decade. The study also shows the Earth is on track to exceed 2C warming, which international scientists identified as a tipping point, with a 50% chance the benchmark would be met by mid-century.
The arts sector seems to be responding to the crisis in multiple ways. The impacts of the Gallery Climate Coalition seem to be spreading globally. It now has over 800 members from around the world. From spring 2023 GCC will launch ‘Active Memberships’, an initiative that urges members to take tangible, concrete actions within their organizations. Active members will be required to submit a completed carbon audit, establish a Green Team within their organization and publish an environmental responsibility statement. AIT joined GCC at the end of 2021, and as of this writing we are the only member from Japan!
We are currently finalizing our carbon audit and environmental responsibility statement. These kinds of structural and organizational actions are essential if the arts sector as an industry wants to seriously respond to the climate crisis. I hope that our example will perhaps spur other organizations in Japan to at least consider joining GCC. But the reality is that there are considerable differences in how the climate crisis is perceived and thought about in different parts of the world. My personal feeling is that as a society, Japan does not share the sense of urgency which seems dominant in European countries. SDG’s has been the dominant narrative in Japan, but sometimes I feel that it is too broad and vague.
As I think about and try to generate action about the climate crisis, in my local community as well in the arts sector through AIT, I am also constantly reminded of the many contradictions and tensions of our globalized art world. In particular that art tends to be viewed as a luxury ‘service industry’, basically serving the wealthiest people on the planet. The price of art works by famous artists continues to rise, and therefore only accessible to a very small number of super-high net worth collectors. I find it very strange that this tiny portion of the art market often comes to represent ‘art’ generally in the media and even within the art world. We should be re-thinking the democratization of art as an open and diverse field of learning and sharing. Web based projects like Smart History have been pioneering in this regard. The art world should be broad enough to cater to the needs of many different kinds of people, including the ultra wealthy! But in order to take an active, leadership role in the climate crisis, the arts also needs to keep its feet firmly on the earth, and not be dazzled by the spectacle of privilege and luxury. Only then can it really begin to effect change and relate to the vast majority of people on this planet.
Note: AIT is now officially the first Active Member of the GCC. (Update: May 30, 2023)
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