micha cárdenas, an artist from UC Santa Cruz, presents the exhibition “Probability Engine: Atlantic Overturning” at Nuit Blanche in Toronto to raise awareness about climate tipping points threatening global systems. The exhibition features interactive sculptures, including a centerpiece inspired by the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, and utilizes poetry and augmented reality to engage audiences in the climate crisis discourse, aiming to inspire collective action for change.
In late 2022, Tim Lenton, founding director of the Global Systems Institute, presented a distressing report concerning imminent climate tipping points, such as the disintegration of ice sheets and the alarming alteration of North Atlantic ocean currents. micha cárdenas, Associate Professor of Critical Race & Ethnic Studies and Performance, Play & Design at the University of California, Santa Cruz, proclaimed this report to be “the scariest thing I have ever read,” expressing a fervent desire to raise public awareness about these critical issues. She emphasized that the world is teetering on the brink of catastrophe, warning that reaching a temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius could unleash a series of irreversible tipping points, emphasizing that as of November 2023, Earth had already reached 1.44 degrees above the average global temperature. cárdenas referenced a September 2022 article published in Science, detailing various potential tipping points that could culminate in cascading global crises, including the devastation of the Amazon Rainforest and the thawing of Boreal Permafrost. To address this pressing concern, cárdenas unveiled her latest exhibition, “Probability Engine: Atlantic Overturning,” at Nuit Blanche, an all-night festival of contemporary art in Toronto, which commenced on October 5. This high-profile exhibition is expected to garner significant attention, as Nuit Blanche has historically attracted over 200,000 visitors. Notably, cárdenas’s work will continue to engage audiences beyond the Nuit Blanche event, being selected for the Extended Program until October 13. This exhibition employs interactive sculptures and virtual reality to immerse visitors in the realities of climate collapse. The “Probability Engine” exhibition, curated by Syrus Ware, employs a complex mix of visual art, sound, poetry, and augmented reality, creating a compelling sensory experience around the theme of climate justice. Ware assembled a collective of artists earlier in the year to creatively confront the issue of climate change, emphasizing a tone of “play, playfulness, and care practices.” The artwork serves as a platform for contemplation about collaborative possibilities for the future. At the heart of this exhibition lies the “Atlantic Overturning,” a striking 15-foot sculpture that symbolizes the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a crucial component of global ocean currents. Citing a recent CNN article that warned of the imminent collapse of AMOC due to human-driven climate change, the exhibition underscores the urgent need for action, as this collapse could occur as early as next year and pose severe consequences for global ecosystems. In the development of “Atlantic Overturning,” cárdenas collaborated with Marcelo Díaz Viana Neto and Star-Hagen Esquerra, artists deeply invested in the project. Previous versions of cárdenas’ project featured other impactful sculptures, including “The Probability Engine,” which allows viewers to visualize projections of climate change impacts, “Permafrost,” reflecting the challenges of melting permafrost, and “The Last Piece of Antarctic Ice,” which addresses rising sea levels. Furthermore, an augmented reality application allows viewers to interact with virtual sculptures representing futuristic resilience strategies, such as proposed sea walls and adaptive architecture responding to shifting landscapes. micha cárdenas champions the transformative potential of art in inspiring tangible societal change. Her previous projects exemplify this commitment; notably, “Unstoppable,” which created protective garments for marginalized individuals, and the Transborder Immigrant Tool, designed to offer crucial survival information to travelers in perilous desert crossings. Through the lens of her latest exhibition, cárdenas challenges audiences to engage critically with the impending collapse of ocean currents, integrating her poetry into the “Probability Engine” app to encourage collective action for positive transformation. cárdenas asserted, “This could be an opportunity to change society,” highlighting the role of the Humanities in contextualizing scientific insights, thereby fostering broader connections to climate change narratives. She critically examined the intersection of conflict and climate impact, noting that groups like the indigenous population and people of color often bear the brunt of climate change. By emphasizing her emotional, poetic approach, cárdenas seeks to evoke a profound understanding of loss, resistance, and the necessity for societal upheaval to avert climate disaster. “Probability Engine” is supported by various entities, including the Arts Division, the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience, Nuit Blanche, and the Anonymous Was a Woman award. For further information about this compelling initiative and to explore micha cárdenas’s poem, “We Will Be The Tipping Point,” please visit the Critical Realities Studio website.
The exhibition “Probability Engine: Atlantic Overturning” emerges against the backdrop of alarming climate change reports indicating severe ecological risks, including the collapse of critical ocean current systems like AMOC. micha cárdenas’s work integrates scientific findings with artistic expression, utilizing multimedia to engage audiences in urgent discussions regarding climate resilience and justice.
In summary, micha cárdenas’s “Probability Engine: Atlantic Overturning” serves as a powerful artistic response to the climate crisis, merging science with creativity to inspire public engagement and promote awareness about the critical state of the planet. Through interactive and emotive sculptures, combined with poetic elements, cárdenas invites viewers to envision potential futures and participate in collective efforts towards climate justice.
Original Source: news.ucsc.edu
