David Buckland: Good Planets are Hard to Find - a Cultural Response to Climate Change February 13, 2008

Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) President Sara Diamond invites you to attend a thought-provoking speaker series responding to some of the key themes of OCAD’s strategic plan, Leading in the Age of Imagination. The President’s Speaker Series features speakers who will discuss the impact of art and design on sustainability, aging and wellness, and contemporary ethics. Artist David Buckland will visit OCAD on Wed., Feb. 13, 2008 at 6:30 pm to discuss his work in the Arctic directing the Cape Farewell project. The series continues with presentations by Dr. Ron Baecker, Gary Clement and Carol Squiers. All are invited to attend.

Wed., Feb. 13, 2008, 6:30 pm
David Buckland
"Good Planets are Hard to Find - a Cultural Response to Climate Change"

David Buckland is a designer, artist and film-maker whose lens-based works have been exhibited in numerous galleries in London, Paris and New York and collected by the National Portrait Gallery, London, the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, the Metropolitan Museum, New York and the Getty Collection, Los Angeles amongst others.

Since 2001 Buckland has created and now directs the Cape Farewell project, whose ambition is to bring artists, scientists and educators together to collectively address and raise awareness about climate change. They have sailed on three successful expeditions into the High Arctic aboard the schooner Noorderlicht. The artists have already been the subject of a film for The Culture Show and a BBC documentary. The art resulting from these fruitful journeys is being shown this year at the Natural History Museum, London, the Liverpool Biennial and the Sage Gateshead, Newcastle.

“Although scientists have done a brilliant job in highlighting the causes of climate change the ultimate responsibility rests with all of us and the way we choose to live our lives. Over the past 150 years we have become dependent of a carbon economy to provide our way of life and it is now clearly apparent that this is not sustainable without serious damage to the planet and subsequently human existence. The Cape Farewell project highlights this cultural responsibility and endeavors, through the participation of some of our finest creative minds to create a sustainable global vision that involves all of us. This cultural estate includes the writers Ian McEwan, Vickram Seth; sculptors Antony Gormley and Rachel Whiteread; choreographer Siobhan Davies; painter Gary Hume; comic Marcus Brigestocke; film director David Hinton as well as the project director, artist David Buckland.

This talk will present film and stills from the four Arctic expeditions aboard the schooner the Noorderlicht and the subsequent art works, film and writings produced plus the work of our onboard oceanographers and glaciologists. Like our fellow Arctic travelers, become inspired by this sense of adventure and cultural necessity and help give people a vision of optimism and excitement that embraces our future and a climate stabilized planet, the only one we know of that can sustain life.”

All are welcome to attend, and admission is free. This presentation takes place in the OCAD Auditorium at 100 McCaul Street, Toronto. Limited seating available; guests are advised to arrive early.

Ontario College of Art & Design
100 McCaul Street, Toronto
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