Tekniska museet has launched a major initiative that focuses on how we take care of our planet and the consequences of our actions. The pandemic disrupted things for a while, but the museum is now back open and has been since 26th February. And it has put together a beautiful and thought-provoking exhibition called ‘Anthropocene’. The Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa have arranged the exhibition, together with the Fondazione MAST in Bologna. It is currently on a world tour. With the help of several world-renowned photographers’ material, it deals with important issues that affect us all and calls for reflection. We see it as a very positive thing that Djurgården’s attractions are passionate about making sustainable development happen through working with others.
What is the Anthropocene?
The Anthropocene is — according to some researchers — the time we are living in right now. The human age. The age when our impact on the earth has meant a significant change for the earth’s geology, ecosystems and climate. Anthropocene is also the name of Tekniska’s exhibition. It shows the consequences of human intrusion on our nature in a very tangible way.
A beautiful exhibition that makes an impact
The exhibition is being shown in parallel with Moving to Mars. Mars is not hospitable to humans; its unforgiving environment shows how fragile living conditions are. And with life on Mars becoming increasingly complicated and limited, it is becoming increasingly clear that we must save our own planet.
The Anthropocene takes us to places that we are all responsible for, but that we rarely see. From concrete embankments covering 60% of China’s coast; the world’s largest excavators in a German open pit; calcium carbonate mines in Russia’s Ural Mountains. To the deforestation of the Canadian primeval forest; an Italian marble quarry and one of the world’s largest landfills in Dandora, Kenya. It is a beautiful and touching exhibition, which shows the painful truth that humans are causing nature to vanish.
Technology is the problem and the solution
“Technology has taken us to where we are today. We have never had it better, but we face great challenges. At the same time as innovations and technology are part of the solution for the future, this exhibition calls for reflection and action”, says Peter Skogh, Museum Director at Tekniska museet.
World-renowned artists
Edward Burtynsky is an internationally renowned artist and photographer, based in Toronto, Canada. For 35 years he has photographed industrial areas and man-made landscapes. His paintings are in the collections of over sixty museums, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Tate Modern in London. He has also won a considerable number of awards and accolades.
Jennifer Baichwal has been directing and producing documentaries for 25 years. She says that documentaries “give you the opportunity to reflect on events in the real world in a creative way”. She is based in Toronto, Canada.
Nicholas De Pencier has worked as a film photographer and producer for more than 20 years, usually in collaboration with Jennifer Baichwal. He has received several awards as a cinematographer but also as a producer. These include an International Emmy and an award for best Canadian documentary. He is based in Toronto, Canada.
You can read more about Anthropocene here.
The exhibition highlights the importance of sustainable management and sustainable use of the earth’s resources (12.2)
It raises concerns about how industry and infrastructure need to be changed to improve sustainability (9.4)
