Art symposium on climate, energy and culture
Media release – Otago Polytechnic
For immediate release, Monday 10 October
Art symposium offers fresh perspectives on climate, energy and culture
From an artist’s collaboration with NIWA on the effects of sea level rises, to an examination of the role art can play in plans to protect the future of South Dunedin, the upcoming Art and Future Symposium in Dunedin promises a riveting programme examining themes of energy, climate and culture.
Organised by the Dunedin School of Art at Otago Polytechnic in conjunction with the University of Otago’s Centre for Sustainability, Centre for Science Communication and Department of Sociology, the symposium will be held at the Dunedin School of Art in Riego Street on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 October. An exhibition accompanying the symposium opens at the School on Thursday 13 October from 6.00pm-7.00pm. All events are free of charge and members of the public are welcome to attend.
“Art has always had to do with identity,” says Peter Stupples, Senior Lecturer in Art History and Theory at the Dunedin School of Art, and one of the speakers at the symposium. “How has art seen the future? Can art be a useful tool in sorting the significant from the trivial? Has art a role in making change or is it simply an expressive device? These are questions that will form the focus of the symposium.”
The keynote address will be delivered by Frances Whitehead, a world-renowned public artist and Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, who will talk about the benefits of involving artists in city planning.
Other speakers include Dunedin artist, Nigel Brown, who will talk about his growing awareness of climate change and the need for cultural reappraisal; artist Gabby O’Connor and NIWA scientist Dr Craig Stevens who will discuss the role science/art collaborations can play in understanding and explaining climate issues; and Dr Louisa Baillie who will consider whether art can help clarify the murkiness around South Dunedin’s future.
A full programme of events can be found at www.op.ac.nz/assets/ArtSchool/Art-and-Future-programme.pdf.