Eco-conscious art exhibitions to see in London in 2023
Art frequently acts as a powerful catalyst for raising awareness about significant societal challenges. Our guide spotlights exhibitions that bring audiences closer to the natural world, highlighting issues like endangered species and climate change. These showcases not only foster a connection with the environment but also aim to inspire action and advocacy in addressing the urgent matters related to climate change.
How to Build a Low-Carbon Home
How to Build a Low-Carbon Home at the Design Museum. © MTotoe.
#FLODown: This exhibition explores innovative ways to design homes that address the climate emergency. It focuses on reimagining traditional materials such as wood, stone, and straw to create sustainable, low-carbon buildings. On show is the work of contemporary architects and engineers like Material Cultures, Waugh Thistleton, Groupwork, and Webb Yates, highlighting how these materials are sourced and transformed into cutting-edge structures. Visitors can expect to see full-scale installations, models, samples, tools, and photographs, as well as learn about the role of robotics in timber fabrication, the possibility of thatched roofs in future homes, and the significance of diamond wire in stonemasonry. The exhibition offers important insight into environmentally conscious architecture and materials for a more sustainable future.
Date: 8 July 2023 – 10 March 2024. Location: Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG. Price: Free. Website: designmuseum.org.
Gregor Sailer: The Polar Silk Road
Image: Gregor Sailer: The Polar Silk Road at Natural History Museum. © MTotoe.
#FLODown: Gregor Sailer's inaugural UK exhibition delves into the Arctic's evolving landscape due to the climate crisis. It investigates the consequences of melting ice, which is unlocking shorter sea routes and new trade opportunities along the 'Polar Silk Road.' As temperatures in the Arctic rise three times faster than the global average, Sailer's photography documents the resulting shifts, exploring the emerging conflicts, human intervention, and our complex relationship with the changing environment. His compelling images reveal the human impact on this once-pristine region, raising questions about the potential environmental, economic, and social consequences of increased exploitation. This exhibition captures a critical moment in the Arctic's history as it undergoes dramatic transformation.
Date: 26 May–24 November 2023. Location: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD. Price: Free. Website: nhm.ac.uk.
RE/SISTERS: A Lens on Gender and Ecology
Image: Fina Miralles, Relacions. Relació del cos amb elements naturals. El cos cobert de palla [Documentació de l'acció realitzada el gener de 1975 a Sabadell, Espanya] / Relationship: The Body’s Relationship with Natural Elements. The Body Covered with Straw, 1975 . Courtesy of MACBA, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona.
#FLODown: RE/SISTERS is a major group exhibition featuring approximately 50 international women and gender non-conforming artists in the fields of photography and film. The exhibition delves into the intricate relationship between gender and ecology, shedding light on the interconnectedness of the oppression of women and the degradation of the planet. The showcased artworks challenge the dominance of capitalist economies, emphasising women's resistance to the exploitation of the environment. It also highlights the activist roles women play in advocating for and nurturing the planet. Covering various themes, from extractive industries to caregiving politics, RE/SISTERS portrays environmental and gender justice as inseparable components of a global struggle against prevailing power structures that endanger our fragile ecosystem.
Date: 5 October 2023 – 14 January 2024. Location: Barbican Art Gallery, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS.Price: £16. Concessions available. Book now.
Tamara Henderson: Green in the Grooves
Image: Green in the Grooves by Tamara Henderson at Camden Art Centre. © MTotoe.
#FLODown: Green in the Grooves is an exhibition that delves into earthworm ecology, bringing attention to the often-overlooked world beneath our feet. Artist Henderson guides audiences through her creative process, which includes a range of artistic expressions from films and paintings to sound installations and sculptures, immersing them in experiences beyond the ordinary and emphasising the role of imagination in shaping a new future. The exhibition explores the interconnectedness of life, highlighting natural processes like decomposition, regeneration, and metamorphosis, while also addressing human influence on these patterns. Henderson's art serves as a reminder of the tangible, handmade, and analog in a digital age, fostering a unique artistic language and an animistic perspective that connects us to the planet and the universe.
Date: 6 October - 31 December 2023. Location: Camden Art Centre, Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG. Price: Free. Website: camdenartcentre.org.
Being Human
Image: Being Human at The Wellcome Collection. © MTotoe.
#FLODown: The Wellcome Collection's permanent exhibition, Being Human, delves into the profound question of what it means to be a human in the 21st century. The exhibit is organised into four thematic sections: Genetics, Minds & Bodies, Infection, and Environmental Breakdown, each of which explores various aspects of our existence, from medical advancements to our evolving relationships with ourselves, others, and the world. The exhibition comprises 50 artworks and objects, including intriguing pieces like a refugee astronaut's journey to an unknown destination, a perfumed bronze sculpture that evokes the scent of breast milk, and an epidemic-themed jukebox. Notably, the final section addresses the pressing issue of modern climate change, featuring works by artists such as Superflex and Yinka Shonibare. Being Human offers a thought-provoking glimpse into the future of society, art, and sustainable art exhibitions, encouraging visitors to contemplate our role on Earth in this ever-changing era.
Date: Ongoing. Location: The Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Website: wellcomecollection.org.
Wildlife Photographer Of The Year
Image: Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Natural History Museum. © Stefan Christmann.
#FLODown: The 2023 Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition features 100 compelling images that depict the challenges our planet faces in the midst of a crisis. This exhibition offers a unique perspective on Earth's wonders, as some of the world's most talented wildlife photographers showcase their work. Visitors will not only marvel at the beauty and diversity of our planet's habitats, ranging from urban cities to polar seas, but they will also learn about the creatures that inhabit these areas, including species on the brink of extinction and those that have been rescued from the edge. Through soundscapes, videos, expert insights, and compelling photography, the exhibition imparts a deeper understanding of how human actions impact the natural world and encourages a renewed commitment to its protection.
Date: 13 October 2023 – 30 June 2024. Location: Natural History Museum, East Pavilion Gallery, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD. Price: Adult off-peak tickets from £15, peak tickets from £17.50. Book now.
Antonio Pichillá: In front of the lake
Image: Antonio Pichillá, Pathway,2022. Handcrafted textile, mercerised threads and sedalina, 120 x 80 cm.Courtesy the Artist and Elizabeth Xi Bauer Gallery, London.
#FLODown: Antonio Pichillá's inaugural solo exhibition in Europe, In front of the lake, delves into the profound influence of Lake Atitlán on the artist's creativity. The exhibit highlights the lake's symbolic importance as a life-giving and energising force, not only for Pichillá personally but also for Guatemala and humanity as a whole. Pichillá's artistic focus lies in bridging western contemporary art with Mayan epistemology, utilising natural materials and celebrating the diverse aspects of everyday contemporary Tz’utujil life.
Date: 29 September – 11 November 2023 Location: Elizabeth Xi Bauer Gallery, Fuel Tank 8-12, Creekside, London SE8 3DX. Price: Free. Website: elizabethxibauer.com.
Mat Collishaw: Petrichor
Image: Albion by Mat Collishaw. Petrichor at Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens.
#FLODown: Mat Collishaw presents Petrichor, an exhibition offering a profound exploration of the interconnectedness between the natural world, art, and sustainable technology. From AI-generated ‘Alluvion’ works inspired by Dutch Old Masters, which delve into nature's intricate relationship with technology, to ‘Even to the End,’ an immersive experience inspired by eco-friendly plant transportation, the exhibition demonstrates a commitment to environmental awareness. ‘Heterosis’ features dynamic NFTs, highlighting innovative technology's potential to contribute to sustainable art practices.
Date: 20 October 2023 - 7 April 2024. Location: Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens. Price: Admission to the exhibition is included in a ticket to Kew Gardens. Pre-booking online offers the best value visit. Book now.