Artist Wayne Binitie, said:
“About 5 or 6 years ago I formed a unique relationship with BAS and Arup. Our collaboration involves artistic creativity, ice core science and advanced engineering. It’s my hope that people who experience these works will gain a better understanding of humanity’s impact on the natural environment and its climate systems.”
Arup Fellow, Graham Dodd, said:
“Creating Polar Zero has been a fascinating technical challenge. Central to the exhibition is the interplay of art, science and engineering and the collaboration gave us a tremendous opportunity to do something truly innovative. We hope visitors will leave inspired by the ambition of artists, scientists and engineers in working together to highlight the urgent need to address the impact of human activity on our planet.”
BAS Glaciologist Dr Robert Mulvaney, said:
“Our ice core research reveals the human impact on our climate. This research collaboration with Wayne will, I hope, encourage people to think about the past, present and future. It has been a journey of discovery for artist, scientist and engineers, involving high levels of creativity that I’ve found very exciting. Exchanging ideas in the ice core lab or over a coffee was stimulating and I hope that people visiting Polar Zero get a sense of that. Antarctic ice is an archive of the Earth’s hidden climate history. The skill of the artist is in helping us tap into human emotion to provoke curiosity, action and hope for the future.”
Professor Christopher Smith, AHRC Executive Chair, said:
“COP26 is an invitation for all of us to rethink our way of life. When the arts and the sciences come together, they have the power to stir something inside of us and inspire lasting change. This exhibition will demonstrate what we can achieve when we use the arts to inspire people to connect to the human emotion of climate change, driving us all to build a greener, more sustainable future.”
Dame Jo da Silva, Global Sustainable Development Leader, Arup said:
“Art is very important because it can encapsulate a lot of complexity. With a subject like climate change – which is so incredibly complex – we need to engage emotionally. When you look at a piece of art that has been stimulated by climate change, it sets your mind turning over and you contemplate things in a different way.”
Polar Zero is made possible by funding from the Arts & Humanities Research Council.