Today’s headline: “Cumbria flooding: Army mobilised to rescue families hit by Storm Desmond as David Cameron convenes COBRA crisis meeting – Environment Agency admits flood defences have failed amid record rainfall as major incident declared in Cumbria. One man dies and weather warnings remain across the country”. (Daily Telegraph 6 December 2015)
At the same time as residents in the north of England are being rescued from serious flooding caused by Storm Desmond, 20 large photographs from Gideon Mendel’s series “Drowning World”, showing people from across the world in their flooded has appeared in the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern.
“The flood is an ancient metaphor found within the myths and legends of many cultures, It represents an overwhelming destructive force that renders humanity powerless in its wake and leaves us seeking refuge. As global warming drives an increasing number of extreme flooding events each year, this message continues to resonate.” (Drowning World)
Not organised by the Tate, the exhibition is part of the three day Deadline Festival by the environmental group Platform who have taken over the area for a peaceful 3 day event highlighting issues around “art, climate, empire and oil” and the Tate Gallery’s current sponsorship deal by BP which comes to an end next year. Originally the organisers wanted to install 44 photographs, but the Tate allowed 20.
The festival takes place as the COP21 climate talks continue in Paris, where a large number of art projects and exhibitions highlighting the issue of climate change are taking place across the city.
This is how activism should be – peaceful and creative – in a way that both sides can allow to public to engage and make up their own minds.
The weekend event includes film screenings, performances, exhibitions, panel discussions and workshops and may include “seed-bombing” Abraham Cruzvillegas’s installation “Empty Lot” in the Turbine Hall (by throwing sunflower seeds into the soil with an echo back to Ai Weiwei’s installation in the Turbine Hall in 2010-2011.)
“Empty Lot” is a large geometric sculpture that fills the Hall with a grid of triangular wooden planters containing soil collected from parks across London including Peckham, Haringey and Westminster which will be lit and watered throughout for the six month’s of its installation. Green shoots are already beginning to appear in some planters while others look as dead as concrete. The artist intended that the unpredictable nature of the work will provoke questions about the city and nature, as well as wider ideas of chance, change, and hope, so what will he think of the activists interfering and which may add a further dimension to his work incorporating further aspects of London life and hope for the future.
News images credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
