Imag(in)ing the climate crisis: The visual arts to the rescue?

The PhD research is about why and how the visual arts represent the climate crisis. Can they come to the rescue of communication and representation challenges of this highly complex topic? More specifically, the following research questions are asked: How do artists talk about their climate-related art? How is climate change addressed in artworks? And how is climate-related art perceived by the media and audiences? The PhD thesis finds answers to these questions in four studies, which are embedded within the environmental humanities, sociology of the arts, and media and communication studies. First, an interview study with 30 artists yields insights into the perspective of artists addressing the climate crisis in their works. Second, an artwork analysis allows for a detailed account of four selected climate-related artworks. Third, an analysis of 124 news articles on climate-related art sheds light on how it is presented and evaluated in quality newspapers. Fourth, a case study at a Dutch cultural institution focuses on the reactions of exhibition visitors to climate-related art. Based on these studies it can be concluded that the visual arts are coming to the rescue. They take on different roles (e.g., regarding activism, subtleness, representing to transforming). The arts also have to navigate certain tensions (e.g., balancing art and social engagement, reaching the people it wants to get to, and addressing climate change and being sustainable). The findings of this PhD research are relevant for researchers, artists, and cultural institutions working in the area of climate-related art.