Unmoored

Mel Chin, American

Unmoored, 2018

This digital app experience forces viewers to be confronted with the stark reality of sea level rise and the impacts of global warming and climate change. The app presents an immersive experience where, in the middle of Times Square, viewers can view an augmented reality with an abstracted vision of crowded boats, floating plastic, and plankton-like figures. The juxtaposition of Times Square––an almost physical celebration of American commercialism and capitalism–– with the virtual reality layover representing the consequences of said supposed ideals (rising sea levels, pollution, etc.) invites viewers to reflect on their own impact and ask themselves, “How will you rise?” as the app poses at the end of the experience. Label by Courtney Hand

Lines

Pekka Niittyvirta and Timo Aho, Finnish

Lines (57° 59′ N, 7° 16’W), 2019

Pekka Niittyvirta and Timo Aho’s art installation illustrates the grim consequences of climate change and melting glaciers. Located in Scotland’s Uist archipelago, it uses led light fixtures on buildings and other structures to project future sea levels during high tide. The art asks the viewer to confront the stark contrast between present and future water levels. The installation serves as a reminder of the rapidly approaching tide and the urgency of our environmental action. The installation itself must be removed due to the constant threat of storm surges and rising waters, reflecting its meaning and importance even in its removal. Label by Annabelle Marcais

The installation Lines (57° 59′ N, 7° 16’W) by Timo Aho and Pekka Niittyvirta presents a light installation that vividly illustrates the impending threat of mass flooding. This installation projects a line onto the horizon, indicating the future water levels expected by the end of the century. Regardless of whether we believe in climate change or not, this artwork serves as a stark reminder that our homes, land, and everything in our lives could be submerged by rising waters. I believe this piece serves as a compelling call to action for viewers, whether they experience it in person or through a photograph, as it underscores the inescapable reality of the impending floods. Label by Jackson Smith

This art installation was completed by Pekka Niittyvirta and Timo Aho to illustrate the threat of climate change and coastal flooding. This piece was installed on a low-lying island archipelago in Finland. The lights activate at high tide and show the predicted rise in high tide levels at this location by the end of the century. This work bisects the home and the landscape and gets right up in your face to emphasize the imminent and personal threat of rising sea levels. The home in the middle ground, a place most associated with safety from the elements, will be half underwater by the end of this century. Additionally, this photo was taken from an “underwater” perspective on the landscape, which emphasizes the line of destruction that is slowly creeping in. This mood is complimented by the overcast skies and eerie calm of the background. Label by Sam Dutilly

The sea in Outer Hebrides, Scotland, appears calm, growing plant life in still waters. Dark coloration of rocks along the shoreline mark the current highest tides. This light installation provides a striking visual representation of how high the waterline could get. Located at the Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Arts Centre, these lights activate at high tide, demonstrating rising storm surge sea levels. The artist's imagination of future consequences is presented here in a tangible form. Viewers can quickly understand that if allowed to raise to this extent, the low-lying island archipelago will face extensive losses of land and culture. Label by Lucas Theobald

Support

Lorenzo Quinn, Italian

Support, 2017

This photo shows Italian sculptor Lorenzo Quinn’s Support, illustrating the rising sea levels in Venice as the so-called “floating city” sinks. Quinn’s work demonstrates the Venetian people's desperation and difficulty in protecting their home as it continues to sink several millimeters yearly without a solution. The work symbolizes a human underwater, probably drowning, but instead of saving themselves, they are holding up their city to their own detriment. As people continue to contend with the devastating impacts of sea level rise, the question will be how much we prioritize our consumerism, our culture, and our lives. Label by Clarissa Cantacuzene

Found in Venice, Italy, this piece is of a pair of hands holding up a hotel. A seemingly feeble attempt to protect the structure from sea level rise, which is happening at an alarming rate of several millimeters per year. When first looking at this piece, it is hard to tell if the hands are holding up the hotel, or rather attempting to grab on to it. It could also be seen as a person underwater having one last attempt to clutch the structure, trying to get their head above the water that will forever be rising. A beautiful aspect to this piece is that it will forever be changing in appearance. As sea level rises, less of the statue will be showing, raising more alarm to how desperate we are as a people to find solutions. Label by Riley Kelley

A Cautionary Benchmark

Andre Kong Studio, British

A Cautionary Benchmark, London, 2022

This piece, created with the help of London engineering students, was designed for the London Festival of Architecture in 2022. The theme of the festival was “Act”, so Andre Kong Studio built a piece meant to inspire change and action in regard to rising sea levels. The structure is composed of two benches at differing levels – one at normal height, and another raised to the predicted water level of intense 2030 floods – showing the drastic threat that flooding poses to the area. Red paint can be seen climbing up the metal pipes that form the benches to represent the increasingly threatening trends of sea level rise. As the elevated bench towers over the viewer, they are forced to consider the reality of the future. Label by Jackson Schiminger