Antonio Sanchez Solis |
Vienna (EFE).- Something is wrong at the Leopold Museum in Vienna. Masterpieces by Klimt or Schiele hang at the wrong angle by several degrees, in a visual metaphor for how a small increase in the planet’s global temperature can have catastrophic effects.
Under the name “A few degrees more” (a few degrees more), the Viennese museum has removed several masterpieces from their millimeter horizontality, in an attempt to use art to draw attention to the climate crisis, which is also an alternative to attacks against works of art carried out by activists.
“We would like to make our contribution to make our visitors aware of the urgent problem of the climate crisis,” explains the director of the Leopold Museum, Hans-Peter Wipplinger, to EFE.
Education and non-aggressions
The head of the museum recalls that four months ago two activists threw a black liquid at “Death and Life”, one of Klimt’s best-known works, in a protest to call attention to the climate emergency in which the painting was not damaged. .
“We completely disagree with these attacks on works of art. We are in solidarity with those who protect the climate, with researchers. But we wanted to do a smarter, more constructive and educational action that doesn’t cause damage. And this is our answer”, says Wipplinger.
The Climate Change Center Austria collaborates in the project, a platform of scientists and researchers who have written texts that explain the effects on the environment depending on how many degrees Celsius the temperature of the planet increases.
The paintings, mainly landscapes, hang diagonally at angles between 1.5 and 7 degrees, and the scientists explain what changes a warming of that same level would cause, and also what each person can do to avoid it.
Thus, a view of Mount Rax, painted by Koloman Moser in 1907, hangs at an angle of 1.5, the increase in temperatures in degrees Celsius from which the scientific community considers that the effects would be irreversible.
A rise of that level would have serious consequences in the Alps, scientists warn, endangering plant diversity, melting half of the glaciers and threatening Austria’s drinking water supply.
Klimt Lake Collapse
Other paintings warn of the risk of collapse of lakes such as the Attersee, which Klimt painted on numerous occasions, if the temperature rises two degrees, or how an increase of 3 would affect agricultural production in Central Europe.
The Leopold Museum uses Egon Schiele’s “Sunset” to warn that a temperature increase of 4 degrees until the year 2100 would reduce or eliminate habitats such as those shown in the painting, and would cause a rise in sea level that would force millions of people to be displaced.
The scale reaches a 7 degree angle with which “Young man at the spring” hangs, by Albin Egger-Lienz, in which a young man drinks water from a natural source like the ones that would disappear with warming.
“By hanging them crooked we want to show that even marginal changes, of two or three degrees, have incredible effects. That the abstract figures are visually striking and attract attention”, Wipplinger sums up the intention of this project.
“More constructive”
“I think it’s a good way for a museum to find a chance for the problem to be seen. But I don’t know if this is going to change the world,” Lisa, a 16-year-old schoolgirl, told EFE who considers this action “more constructive” than protests like sticking to a painting or throwing liquids.
Paul, 17, agrees with her, who sees the model’s initiative as a “good solution” in contrast to climate protests in which works of art have been attacked, even without causing damage.
“They attract attention but in the end what they do does not contribute much. I consider it a bit unnecessary, ”she opines.
For now, Wipplinger is satisfied with the result of this initiative, which will continue until June 26.
“We realize with the reactions that we have achieved some attention and we hope that it causes a change in the way of thinking of the visitors”, he trusts.