CLIMATE CHANGE // NATURE
(2025)
Installation
Collage, paper, photography, audio
90 x 90 cm
This multimedia artwork reflects on how we witness disaster, focusing on the Los Angeles Wildfires of January 2025. It's a combination of news article photographs, social media story screenshots, and audio snippets of a conversation with one of my sisters on the topic.
My sister lives in LA, and when the wildfires began (only 6 months after the Brazil floods of 2024), I couldn't help but think that these disasters are happening more frequently, more closely to people I love, and at a larger scale. Different events in very different parts of the world, but caused by many similar factors: lack of resources, neglect, willfull ignorance of scientific research, climate change exacerbation, pollution.
Researching the LA wildfires from a distance, I felt odd witnessing the disaster from far away: so much constant information was being fed to me by the media (onlines news outlets), through social media, via my sister and her friends. Caring from afar, wanting to stay updated, wanting to know if everything was going to be alright. Feeling like I wanted to help, but not being able to contribute anything.
I became interested in the way people use social media as a means of communication during the emergency: sharing information with each other; educating others on the status of the situation; sharing resources; updating which areas need help or attention. I was also interested in the beautiful community solidarity that emerged to support those affected: restaurants offering free meals; empty airbnbs offering shelter; psychologists offering trauma recovery; resources for legal help; what can be donated and where; volunteers helping wherever they can.
Are You Safe? encompasses the caring behaviours we express during these struggles, and gives value to the voices in their many forms (digital, written, spoken).
My sister lives in LA, and when the wildfires began (only 6 months after the Brazil floods of 2024), I couldn't help but think that these disasters are happening more frequently, more closely to people I love, and at a larger scale. Different events in very different parts of the world, but caused by many similar factors: lack of resources, neglect, willfull ignorance of scientific research, climate change exacerbation, pollution.
Researching the LA wildfires from a distance, I felt odd witnessing the disaster from far away: so much constant information was being fed to me by the media (onlines news outlets), through social media, via my sister and her friends. Caring from afar, wanting to stay updated, wanting to know if everything was going to be alright. Feeling like I wanted to help, but not being able to contribute anything.
I became interested in the way people use social media as a means of communication during the emergency: sharing information with each other; educating others on the status of the situation; sharing resources; updating which areas need help or attention. I was also interested in the beautiful community solidarity that emerged to support those affected: restaurants offering free meals; empty airbnbs offering shelter; psychologists offering trauma recovery; resources for legal help; what can be donated and where; volunteers helping wherever they can.
Are You Safe? encompasses the caring behaviours we express during these struggles, and gives value to the voices in their many forms (digital, written, spoken).
