Online conversation with video and installation artist, Onaclov Volcano, who recently lanched InterANTARCTICA: www.interantarctica.com and David, Photolibrary’s Online Marketing Manager.

InterANTARCTICA is a multi-disciplinary project in development by staff and students from the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning at The University of Sydney aiming to communicate the impact of climate-change on the continent of Antarctica.)

David: Hi onacloV, the InterANTARCTICA project is really taking off - where is it at now?

OnacloV: It is going to the Tasmanian Museum and Gallery in June 2010… Then to the Climate Change Institute in 2012

David: People seem to get really immersed in the work and that’s great as it’s also raising awareness about a critical issue. Climate change is still very loaded topic. What sort of responses are you getting?

Penguins on an Iceberg #24030869

onacloV: There has been a lot of interest in the installation because climate change is the biggest issue humanity has ever faced.

The audience learnt how to use more environmentally house hold objects, such as energy saver light globes. They also learnt about ice core drilling in Antarctica. Scientists can now record the temperature over the last 890,000 years and counting! Current research findings reveal that that CO2 levels have never risen above 3 parts per million in all that time.

Amazingly, we now know that we have altered the climate by global warming. This is very alarming that in the last 100 years we have fundamentally changed the climate record beyond that of almost the past million years.

For the installation we got footage from the Australian Antarctic Division of scientists drilling ice cores in order to educate people about the urgency and need to address climate change…

David: So in almost a million years the CO2 levels have never been has high as the last 100 years? Are there any simple solutions or are only drastic changes needed to be effective?

Earth's southern hemisphere, satellite image satellite image view of Antarctica. #14329536

OnacloV: Unfortunately, unless we make drastic changes NOW, things will not improve and we will be unable to stop Global Warming.

Current research shows that Australia has had the hottest decade in the history of Australia’s climate, so how what are we waiting for? Action needs to be today as tomorrow will be too late.

David: I think the problem is a lot of people find drastic changes too confronting and even too hard. Tackling day to day problems seems to take precedence.

What role do you see art and new media having in affecting the needed social change?

Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, Great Salt Lake, satellite image #14333250

OnacloV: That’s a good question! There is a growing international trend of artists creating work in response to climate change.

Increasingly there are a number of galleries, museums and online resources dedicated to art addressing climate change.

Environmental art refers to art dealing with ecological issues and can be traced back to the late 1960s. The movement is associated with sculptural installation based art movements such as: Arte Povera, Site-specific Art and Land Art.

David: I think the real difference to those earlier movements is the issue is well entrenched in popular culture and on a positive note, it’s very much debated in that sphere.

The interesting thing with the InterANTARCTICA project is that you offer people a way to really experience the direct effect we have our our environment - it’s stripped from the intellectual debate so the message may be more subtle but perhaps more powerful?

Its interactive nature as well as the footage, sound and images creates a very compelling experience.

Can you tell us a little bit about how the whole thing came about?

OnacloV: I was interested in Antarctica because there are a lot of Australian researchers conducting important climate change research…

Australia has a long history with Antarctica and has an amazing research network with the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD).

I was very lucky to work the the AAD. They kindly gave me access to their large video and sound library. This was a huge help creating InterANTARCTICA and without their kind support the work could not have been made… Thanks AAD!

David: Yes, it’s definitely vital to source good quality material - that’s what we’re all about. But diverting the conversation a little - what are your thoughts on experiential advertising, it’s kind of moving into what has been traditionally the realm of art.

Good example (VW’s fun theory): http://peppertt.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/22/volkswagens-the-fun-theory/

Like your own work, a lot of brands are now building campaigns or spaces that play on the experience of the audience. Do you see this as a new area for collaboration between artists and the commercial world or are the two interests entirely different?

OnacloV: Wow! an interesting example of how to use something everyday, make people laugh and effect a change of their behavior.

Recently, I was asked to be on a live video conference with environmental scientists, from the Climate Change Institute, they actually invited an artist to be on the panel! I thought this was wonderful. I also thought this was the future: collaboration.

I think the idea of artists collaborating with the commercial world is highly important. In order to combat climate change widespread Interdisciplinary collaboration needs to take place with people across disciplines.

David: Agree, collaboration must really help get new ideas not as obvious in the silo of one industry. It’s impressive then that the Climate Change Institute acknowledges the input of artists.

The idea of a sustainable economy is also gaining some momentum (great paper by an ad agency! http://www.bbmg.com/pdfs/BBMG_sustainability_white_paper.pdf).

Do you see any way commercial interests and environmental interest can both be satisfied?

Bedzed: UK's largest eco carbon neutral housing complex in Beddington, London, UK #24126045

OnacloV: Not really… I think we need to take action against climate change. Commercial interests should be secondary.

Unfortunately a lot of companies are pretending to be green so they can have economic benefits - this is very alarming… I have seen this happening a lot in Australia and around the globe.

Cardon tax is a good idea. Because we know that climate change is caused by anthropogenic means (human induced).

We should also tax people when they have children. If we don’t we are not going stop this problem. This may sound controversial. But, every person on the planet has a carbon footprint so they need to take responsibility. It is no longer sustainable to have large families, people need to be encouraged to have smaller ones.

David: There are a lot financial models showing being authentically “green” may actually have long-term economic benefits. Though, it may require a big shift in the way we do things and that could be hard.

As you said, a tax on babies sounds like a controversial idea!

Other questions might need to be asked as well like will this make having children a luxury for the wealthy? How would we rate different carbon footprints (between poorer or wealthier nations / people)? Could this impinge on basic human rights?

It’s a critical issue that definitely requires more input and collaboration…

Can you suggest were people should go to find out more about climate change?

Circular sculpture, Gaia Gardens #21518045

OnacloV: I would strongly recommend a book by James LoveLock: The Vanishing Face of Gaia: A Final Warning (2009)…

A very important book and one that should be read by anyone concerned about climate change. Hopefully, everyone living on Planet Earth!

Lovelock has written a lot about climate change. His writing is easy to access for a non-scientist and is a remarkable account of what we are currently facing as a planet in regards to climate change.

The book also looks at possible future solutions in terms of alternate energy. Lovelock developed the Gaia Hypothesis. Which looks at the Earth as one living organism. Lovelock is also famous for inventing the electron capture detector, which made important discoveries about CFCs and their role in stratospheric ozone depletion.

Lovelock has a wide knowledge across different science disciplines which makes this book a fascinating and horrifying account of the future of our planet.

David: The Gaia theory really polarized the scientific community when Lovelock first proposed it (was it 30 years ago?) - so I’m sure it would be a very compelling read hearing his take on this and his thoughts on where we are and where are going right now.

It’s been a real pleasure speaking with you onocloV - thanks for your time and honesty. Congratulations again on the success of InterANTARCTICA and best of luck with all other future projects!

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