From Perception to Action: How Art is Reshaping Climate Narratives
From information to new ways of seeing
The panel discussion following the presentations explored how art can contribute to climate action, how artists can work responsibly with communities and what young practitioners can learn from existing initiatives.
The panelists observed that art does not necessarily prescribe solutions. Its distinctive contribution lies in making climate change tangible, challenging established perspectives and creating spaces in which people can reflect, participate and act.
Scientific evidence is essential for understanding the climate crisis, but data alone may not always convey how environmental change is experienced in people’s homes, livelihoods and relationships with their surroundings. Through images, stories, materials and shared creative processes, art can translate abstract information into experiences that feel immediate and personal.
When artworks and visual archives are deeply rooted in local contexts, they can also make overlooked ecological realities and community knowledge more visible. In doing so, artistic practice can foster recognition, emotional connection and a stronger sense of shared responsibility.
Working with, rather than speaking for, communities
A central theme of the discussion was the challenge of moving beyond the position of an “external observer” and developing genuine forms of co-creation with communities.
Several speakers described how their practice had evolved from individual documentation towards participatory approaches. By sharing cameras, recording tools and creative methods with community members, artists can enable people to document ecological change and become the narrators of their own experiences.
At the same time, the panelists acknowledged the need for artists to reflect continuously on their own position. When working outside their own communities, artists must consider whether and how they can represent experiences that are not their own.
Some speakers suggested that the distance between an artist and a community cannot always be eliminated. Rather than concealing it, artists can acknowledge this distance – and the doubts, misunderstandings and processes of learning associated with it – as part of the work itself. Transparency and self-reflection can help create more honest and responsible forms of engagement.
The discussion highlighted that meaningful collaboration requires time, trust and reciprocity. Communities should not be treated simply as subjects or sources of material; they should have an active role in shaping how their experiences are documented, interpreted and shared.
Building sustained and responsible artistic practices
The speakers also offered advice to young artists seeking to engage with climate and environmental issues. They encouraged artists to begin with a concrete issue, place or lived experience rather than rushing to respond to broad global concepts. A deep understanding of local ecologies, histories and communities can provide a stronger foundation for meaningful artistic practice.
They also stressed the importance of building long-term collaborative networks rather than focusing only on one-off artistic outputs. Workshops, community archives, youth training and grassroots partnerships can create value that continues beyond the duration of an exhibition or individual artwork.
The panelists further acknowledged the structural contradictions faced by artists working on climate issues, including travel, material consumption and the environmental footprint of exhibitions. Such challenges cannot always be resolved through individual lifestyle choices alone. Rather than claiming ethical perfection, artists were encouraged to engage openly with these tensions and, where appropriate, make them part of the creative conversation.
Art as a starting point for collective action
The webinar demonstrated that art could contribute to climate action not only by communicating environmental challenges, but also by making overlooked experiences visible, strengthening community agency and creating new relationships between people and their environments.
By combining creativity with sustained local engagement, artists can help transform climate change from a distant global concern into a shared and lived reality – and a starting point for reflection, dialogue and collective action.
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