A climate for art in Copenhagen

While politicians gather at the UN Climate Change Conference, 26 trendsetting international artists create new ways to grasp the climate issues.

Imagine a mountain moving to the beat of a seismograph, flying biospheres in the sky, and hundreds of plastic bags filled with acid rain. What happens when art is made from the sounds of the Mexican jungle, satellite tracking data of the "most blue sky" of the moment, or arctic birds?

On 31 October the ambitious international art exhibition "RETHINK - Contemporary Art & Climate Change" opens in Copenhagen. RETHINK will present artworks by Tomas Saraceno (AR), Henrik Håkansson (SE), The Icelandic Love Corporation (IS), Superflex (DK), Bright Ugochukwu Eke (NG), Olafur Eliasson (IS/DK) and many other artists, all of whom will offer different, new perspectives on climate and the environment.

Art is a source of inspiration

Art's ability to inspire and offer new perspectives is acknowledged by the Danish Minister for Climate and Energy, Connie Hedegaard. She says:

- Art can act as a source of inspiration and initiate reflection. Naturally, I hope that some of the many politicians who come to Copenhagen for the climate conference in December will be inspired by the exhibition. However, it is also important that all people have the opportunity to view the climate challenge from a cultural perspective.

RETHINK has been nominated as the "Nordic Exhibition of the Year 2009-2010" by the Nordic Culture Fund and will tour several cities in the Nordic region in 2010. In addition, the exhibition is part of the official culture programme for the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP15, which will take place in Copenhagen 7-18 December.

For more information visit: www.rethinkclimate.org/press