Announcing the results of our climate change arts competition!
in March 2023, the Phelan United States Centre launched a climate change themed arts competition for members of the LSE community. Shortlisted submissions will form the basis of an arts exhibition on climate change scheduled for the Autumn of 2023 to coincide with COP28.
We asked the LSE community to submit original pieces of work, created specifically for this exhibition, that relate in some way to one of the expansive themes of our podcast series, Climate Change: America and the World. We invited submissions across a range of artistic mediums, including photography, painting, sculpture, poetry, and posters.
We then invited the LSE community to decide the winner of our arts competition by popular vote. The winner received a £150 cash prize, while two runners-up received £75 each. There were six shortlisted entries to choose from.
HOW TO VOTE
The voting form closed on Monday 19 June at 23.59.
COMPETITION WINNER
Congratulations to Tarushi Agrawal for being named the winner of the Phelan US Centre's 2022-23 Arts Competition! A special mention, also, to Aishwarya Giri and Elinor Potts for being named the runners-up.
All six outstanding shortlisted entries can be viewed below.
As a society, as a city, and as a country- We have the right to grow but at what cost?
We have forgotten the right ways to grow, this race between countries and the political stubbornness is blocking the implementation to reverse Climate Change.
We have lived beyond our means, burnt huge amounts of fossil fuels and cut down vast swathes of forests. Nature had a pattern which sustained our life on Earth and we have disturbed this balance. Time is ticking and our Earth is melting away and slowly becoming unsustainable to breathe, to eat and to survive in.
My painting aims to showcase how we have coerced our planet towards a bleak future.
This piece is a reflection on the wide global impact of sea level rise with a focus on my home state of Florida, a particularly vulnerable area with diverse and complex challenges. We know that the sea level rising of 1 inch every 3 years in South Florida will have a devastating effect on the economy and livelihoods of the people living in the state, with a high possibility of many areas becoming completely uninhabitable if this pace continues, but this piece is meant to draw attention to the lesser discussed wildlife and habitat loss that is also at risk. According to the Florida Natural Areas Inventory, a quarter of the 1,200 species that it tracks, over half are at risk of losing their existing habitat due to climate change, including the much-loved manatee. In a state and world that struggles to protect its most vulnerable populations, it's important to focus on preventative, rather than reactive, actions now while we still have the chance.
My submission is a poem that draws together stories from different parts of the world, including the poet's to express how commonly climate change is experienced these days and how none of us are immune from its impact. In this situation, my poetry calls for giving more voice to real life stories, and collective action and global responsibility.
Climate change is a pressing global issue that has consumed our lives, pushing us towards finding solutions to the same. This poem reflects both its impacts and the uncertainty surrounding it.
Ideas in the poem:
The poem is about the sole survivor of a catastrophic natural disaster. It is an allegory as the survivor feels overwhelmed, stranded, and unaware of whether they can find a 'destination' or 'end'. The uncertainty that the survivor is facing is symbolic of our uncertainty with regards to the climate catastrophe. The poem ends on a slightly more optimistic note of hope - the hope that we as a global community can work towards ending this catastrophe.
'Hot water' is a mixed media collage piece which explores overfishing and changing ecological climates. The fractured landscapes have a dreamlike quality, blending land, sea and fire until they become indistinguishable. Masses of fish bodies are rendered as islands; a fish clutches an umbrella; an angry dolphin takes a spiteful bite of land; and a pair of human legs dance gleefully through a broken sky spliced with flames. 'Hot water' asks us, what are the limits of consumption, and when will we become attuned to the severity of this ecological crisis?
My inspiration for this piece is Spring. I think it’s a very refreshing time of year where we come out of the darkness of winter and start to see new colours and plants coming to life. Over the winter, the trees lose their leaves and are stripped down to their basic form. I think spring is symbolic of a fresh start, as well as light and hope. I think humans can use this imagery from nature to take this time of year as an opportunity to focus on our own growth and goals for the upcoming months.
