Subscribe
A giant eye like the inescapable whiplash of conscience is wavering on the horizon of South Korea's Busan, where the final rounds of talks on a global plastics treaty is taking place.
The eye is a collage of over 6,000 portraits on a 30x24 metre flag held up by a 10-storey crane, each of which represents a person who wants to put an end to plastic use and manufacturing. Many of the faces are of public figures like William Shatner, James Cromwell and Joao Pacífico who have been vocal about the cause.
With its ominous gaze, the flag was installed with the purpose of reminding country heads gathered at the venue that the millions of people who’ll be affected by their decision on plastics are all watching.
It also cautions that this crucial fifth gathering of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution should not be a missed opportunity to move towards a plastic-free future, a scenario that scientists have deemed necessary to conserve the environment. “This is a make or break moment where governments in Africa and around the world have another chance to agree on an ambitious Global Plastics Treaty — that could solve the planetary crisis brought by runaway plastic production and safeguard our planet, our health and future generations,” Hellen Kahaso Dena, pan-African plastics project lead, at Greenpeace Africa, which supported Swiss artist Dan Acher in creating the installation.
In the last few years of the movement against climate change, when facts and figures alone were not enough to move people into action, people have resorted to creative expressions of anguish and despair to highlight the seriousness of the threat facing certain communities and the urgency of action required. Tuvalu’s foreign affairs minister, Simon Kofe’s COP26 speech standing knee-deep in seawater was one such example. The island nation in Oceania faces a direct threat of inundation due to global warming-induced sea level rise. Speaking from the shores of Fongafale, Tuvalu’s capital islet, Kofe highlighted the harsh realities of climate change that his country faces daily, saying, "We are sinking, but so is everyone else."
With the poignant messaging, the minister urged world leaders to ensure global Net Zero emissions by mid-century, keep the 1.5°C temperature rise limit within reach, and mobilise financial resources to address loss and damage caused by climate change.
Public art installations have emerged as a potent medium for climate activism, combining visual impact with community engagement to address pressing environmental challenges. These works transcend traditional art spaces, bringing urgent messages to the streets, public squares, global fora and even underwater, where they provoke dialogue and inspire action against climate change and ecological degradation.
Through their innovative approaches, artists have used installations not only to critique governmental policies but also to galvanise collective responsibility.
In 2014, Olafur Eliasson and geologist Minik Rosing’s Ice Watch installation offered a visceral representation of the melting Arctic ice. Displayed in cities like London and Paris, the project featured blocks of glacial ice arranged in public spaces, melting as passersby observed. This tangible representation of climate change aimed to spur viewers into recognising the immediacy of global warming and demanding stronger governmental commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Art installations have also criticised consumption patterns and corporate practices. Luzinterruptus, an anonymous collective, transformed plastic waste into illuminated installations in Madrid, critiquing urban waste management. By turning discarded items into aesthetically striking works, Luzinterruptus challenged viewers to reconsider their habits and their implications for global ecosystems.
Other works, like Maya Lin’s Ghost Forest (2021), bring environmental degradation to urban consciousness. Lin installed a grove of dead Atlantic cedar trees in New York’s Madison Square Park, symbolising the devastation of rising salinity due to climate change. Her project underscored the tangible losses humanity faces, directly connecting viewers to the ecological repercussions of delayed climate action.
The impact of these installations lies not only in their artistic merit but also in their ability to create immersive, emotionally charged experiences. For instance, Hong Lee Hyung-sook’s Blackout Journey, part of the 2024 Busan Biennale, invited participants to navigate total darkness, simulating the heightened senses needed to address an uncertain ecological future. Such experiential art fosters a deeper connection to the issues at hand, urging audiences to reimagine their role in combating climate change.
The latest installation of The We Are Watching flag has a simple goal: To remind the heads of states that they will be held accountable. The flag “has become a powerful symbol of global unity in the fight for urgent climate action,” said Acher. “From Cape Town to Cairo, Geneva to Madrid, across the United Kingdom and East Asia, this giant flag has carried the faces and hopes of thousands demanding a sustainable future. World leaders, as you gather in Busan to make crucial decisions on plastic pollution: Global citizens are asking you to do the right thing. Be on the right side of history — for your children, for our children, for the future of our planet. The world is watching!”