Pioneer Works: Perspectives on a Changing Earth

This panel brings together three individuals - an artist, an environmentalist, and a physicist - for a discussion on the global impact of human-made climate change, and the possibility of building a sustainable and equitable future through culture, activism, and education. Dustin Yellin is an artist who balances a sculptural practice visualizing the catastrophic impact of the anthropocene, with a social practice to build community through accessible, transdisciplinary education and engagement, as a catalyst to provoke societal change. David de Rothschild is an ecologist and activist whose global exploration and adventuring have brought widespread attention and innovative solutions to urgent environmental issues. Theoretical astrophysicist Janna Levin considers life and environments on exoplanets and how the climate crisis impacts not only our planet, but the universe around it. Together with moderator Adrianne Ramsey, an arts curator and writer, the panel will discuss why climate change is the most pressing issue of our time, how education and innovation can unlock solutions to political inertia, and how the actions we take today can forestall the direct impact of this looming crisis.
Dustin Yellin tells stories that weave together the diverse forces of nature and technology. Through his multidisciplinary body of work, which includes sculpture, collage, animation, pedagogy, and institution building, Yellin tunnels across traditionally siloed fields to crystallize the idea that everything is interconnected.
As an explorer, who has traversed some of the world’s toughest environments, David de Rothschild has been harnessing his curious spirit to help give Nature a voice and make the world a more sustainable place for the last two decades. In 2006, he founded the Voice for Nature Foundation, an organization that uses exploration, adventure and storytelling to give ‘Nature a voice.’ David is one of the leaders of a new generation of change-makers focused on re-igniting collective hope in the future of the planet.
Janna Levin is the Claire Tow Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is also the Director of Sciences at Pioneer Works and the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine Pioneer Works Broadcast. A Guggenheim Fellow, Janna has contributed to an understanding of black holes, the cosmology of extra dimensions, and gravitational waves in the shape of spacetime.
Adrianne Ramsey is an independent curator, writer, and arts editor. She has organized exhibitions for Root Division, Berkeley Art Center, and USC Roski Galleries, and is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of GIRLS Magazine, an online publication that interviews femme-identifying contemporary artists, art professionals, curators, and writers about art, politics, and their individual practices.
MOCA’s environmental programming series highlights the museum’s work around climate, conservation, and environmental justice. Guided by the work of the MOCA Environmental Council, the first sustainability council at a major arts museum in the United States, this series presents artists, activists, and scholars committed to critical ecological issues in Los Angeles and globally.

The 2022 series is made possible by Nora McNeely Hurley and Manitou Fund.

Видео Pioneer Works: Perspectives on a Changing Earth канала The Museum of Contemporary Art