CLIMATE BEAUTY. The Art of Reimagining Progress

An essay by Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, General Director, MAK, on the occasion of the opening of the MAK CREATIVE CLIMATE CARE GALLERY, Vienna, June 2020

On the occasion of the thematic focus CREATIVE CLIMATE CARE, the MAK is publishing a new fundamental essay by General Director Christoph Thun-Hohenstein on the climate crisis and on reimagining progress in the light of the Corona experiences.

In this essay, he highlights gravely misguided developments of industrial and digital capitalism, proposes a new mindset for climate care and overall environmental care, and, by using terms such as “climate harmony” and “climate beauty,” calls for new images with a positive connotation for sustainable progress in the 21st century. Thun-Hohenstein demands a reinforcement of digital innovations for an effective protection of climate, species, and ecosystems. He encourages artists and creatives to consider all possible ways and means to overcome the climate crisis and the general ecological crisis and to insistently contribute to the shaping of the eco-social Digital Modernity.

At the same time, the essay CLIMATE BEAUTY: The Art of Reimagining Progress is a plea to the public and especially to “citizen future designers” to send own ideas regarding this topic on which humanity’s future depends to the MAK at office@mak.at.

Outstanding contributions will be discussed in the context of forthcoming MAK FUTURE LABS, selected artistic approaches will be presented in the CREATIVE CLIMATE CARE GALLERY of the MAK.

The essay can be found here