ART AND CLIMATE

Since the early 1970s, Munich Re has been addressing the topic of climate change and analysing its impact on nature and human life. The findings gained from this are incorporated into the risk assessment of natural disasters and help to take preventive action. Munich Re also sees raising society’s awareness of changing environmental conditions as its responsibility as part of its corporate culture, in addition to supporting the arts.

The impending effects of climate change moved Munich Re to organise a competition in 2010 on the theme of “Art and climate”, together with students at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. For the Company’s climate experts, it was an unusual challenge to deal with artists and approach climate change from a different perspective.

Of the 42 art students who took part in the competition, 11 won over the interdisciplinary jury with their radicalism, creativity and commitment to the subject: Florian Ecker, Alexander Eisfeld, Susi Gelb, Agnes Jänsch, Paul Kotter, Christian Landspersky, Andreas Peiffer, Benjamin Planitzer, Carmen Sophia Runge, Heike Schleer, and Matthias Trager. The models, sketches and concepts of the eleven nominated artists were presented from 20 October to 17 December 2010 in an exhibition that was shown in Munich, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. A catalogue was published to accompany the exhibition. 

“This encounter between scientific prognoses and artistic perspectives produced an impressive collection of tangible images on climate change that illustrate an awareness of the necessity and urgency of human action.” (Excerpt from the introduction to the exhibition catalogue.)