Two new street art murals emerge in Madrid as world governments continue to deliberate the Paris Agreement during the longest UN Climate Conference on record in the past 25 years.
During the recent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference — COP 25 — in Madrid, Spain, NYC-based
Greenpoint Innovations (GPI – www.gpi.nyc) teamed up with
Barcelona-based artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada (Gerada – www.gerada-art.com) to create two
new street art pieces for the first international activation of GPI’s ‘art plus
purpose’ series, GreenPoint EARTH (www.greenpoint.earth).
The mission of GreenPoint EARTH is to leverage the incredible
power of public art to inspire climate action with positive messages about the
interconnected themes of nature, people, and climate. Curated by global climate
sustainability expert and founder of GPI, Stephen Donofrio, artist Gerada was
perfectly suited for this project. He has since the 1990’s in NYC been
producing works with a social and ecological commentary, and is most well-known
for his pioneering ‘Terrestrial Series.” Bios below.
Completed for COP 25 with support from local and global organizations including the City and Community of Madrid, UNFCCC, National Wildlife Federation International, Arbor Day Foundation, and Forest Trends, the wall host for the murals is the Occupational Center in Lineal City (Centro Ocupacional Ciudad Lineal), a center for people with intellectual disabilities. Naturally aligned with the goals of GreenPoint EARTH, this freely offered facility is dedicated to helping people in the development of professional, personal and social skills.
This display of the climate crisis through the beauty of nature and its people emerges after 14 days of the longest UN annual climate conference, during which the world’s highest level of world governments failed to make the political progress needed with even the UN Secretary-General António Guterres officially stating “I am disappointed with the results of #COP25.” Symbolically, this project represents how the people of the world are no longer willing to wait for the top to take the decisive action required to set our economies on the sustainable pathway needed to ensure the long-term health of Planet Earth. Fridays for Future has proven this, with millions of youth and adults rising up to take a stand against climate change. Visit www.greenpoint.earth for ideas for how individuals can get involved in climate solutions by planting trees with Arbor Day’s Team Trees, purchasing art by Gerada, and donating to Greenpoint EARTH.
Featured in one of the murals is a portrait of Hilda Pérez, a leader of the Indigenous Ashaninka Community located in Peru. The team chose to feature indigenous people as they occupy 25-50 percent of the Earth’s land and the direct result of their stewardship keeps 51 GT of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere, a huge contribution to avoid and revert climate change. Notably, each of the feathers that make up the headdress she is wearing represents each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. She is also the Vice President of the National Organization of Andean and Amazonian Indigenous Women of Peru (ONAMIAP). ONAMIAP was founded on November 25, 2009, the International Day Against Violence against Women, as a result of a long process of formation, debate and articulation between sisters from different regions.
The second mural, ‘Forest Focus,’ is an eye of Planet Earth, with the Amazon rainforest as the pupil and Chile clearly visible as a homage to the official COP 25 host country. The mural shines a light on the opportunity in addressing natural forest loss as pathway to climate stability, habitat conservation, and ecosystems preservation.
All photos are credited to Fer Alcalá (Instagram: @feralcala): https://shwca.se/GPEARTH-Madrid2019
